CHICKEN CACCIATORE PIE

There is nothing quite like a hearty pie to fill your stomach on a cold winter's night. This Chicken Cacciatore Pie is a tasty variation to the traditional version of Chicken Cacciatore, and in my view, even tastier. This recipe makes enough filling for 2 pies, so freeze half the Chicken Cacciatore for another time.

                                       CHICKEN CACCIATORE PIE   


1/4 cup Olive Oil
1.7kg Chicken Thigh Fillets, cut into 4cm pieces
3 Red Onions, halved, thinly sliced
6 garlic Cloves, finely chopped
2 x 700g bottles Tomato Pasta Sauce
2 cups White Wine
2 T Capers, coarsely chopped
1 T Dried Oregano Leaves
200g Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 (about 1.4kg) large Potatoes, peeled, chopped
20g Butter
100ml Thickened Cream
1 1/2 cups Frozen Peas
2 T Grated Parmesan


1. Heat the oil in  a large heavy-based saucepan over medium high heat.
   Cook the chicken, onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes
   or until browned. Season with salt and pepper.


2. Add the tomato sauce, wine, capers and oregano. Reduce heat to
   medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes or until the sauce
   thickens. Add mushroom and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes
   or until the mushroom is tender. Transfer half the Chicken Cacciatore to a 
   bowl. Cool the remaining Chicken Cacciatore, then transfer to an airtight
   freezerproof container, and freeze for up to 3 months.


3. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius. Place the potato in a large saucepan
   of cold water. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce heat to medium
   and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to pan. Add
   butter and mash until smooth, then stir through cream and season.


4. Stir peas and parsley through Chicken Cacciatore. Transfer to a 20cm pie
   dish. Spread mashed potato over the top and use a fork to create small 
   peaks in mashed potato. Top with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until
   golden, then serve.

HEARTY PEA AND HAM SOUP

Pea and Ham Soup is one of my all-time favourite soup recipes which I love making in the cold of winter. Together with warm crusty bread, this recipe is a firm family favourite.

                                                          PEA AND HAM SOUP


1 T Olive Oil
1 medium(150g) Brown onion, chopped coarsely
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1.2kg Ham Hock
500g Green Split Peas
2L Water
2 cups Frozen Peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh Mint or Flat-Leaf Parsley

                          


1. Heat oil in a large pan; cook onion, garlic and carrot, stirring for about 2 
   minutes or until starting to soften. Add the ham hocks, split peas and 
   water; bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer gently, uncovered, for about
   2 hours 30 minutes or until peas are soft. You may need top the water up
   to keep the ham hocks covered, but try not to add any more than necessary
   or it will be reduced at the end. Remove the ham hocks;cool slightly.


2. Add frozen peas to the pan, cook for 1 minute. Cool soup for 10 minutes.


3. Blend soup, in batches, until smooth. If you want a chunkier texture, blend
   a little less. Return soup to pan. if the soup is too thin, simmer uncovered
   until thickened.


4. Meanwhile, remove the skin, bone and fat from the ham hocks. Shred or 
     slice the meat. Return ham to the soup, stir over heat until hot.


5. Season soup with a grind of black pepper. Top with mint or parsley and 
   serve with rustic-style bread, such aa some toasted sourdough or warm
   crusty rolls.

DATE BAR

This Date Bar recipe was passed down to me from my mother and I have many great memories of her making this. Mum never seemed to just make one though, she always made a few and to this day, I love the aroma of fresh Date Bar straight out of the oven. Spreading with butter whilst it is warm is truly a delight to the tastebuds.

                                                                DATE BAR


1 Cup Chopped Dates
1T Margarine
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teasp. Bi-Carb Soda
1 1/2 cups S.R Flour


1. Cream margarine and sugar. Add dates. Pour water over mixture and
    sprinkle with soda. Stir in flour. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes.
    Serve with butter or custard.

DARK CHOCOLATE MUD CAKES

There aren't too many people who don't love a Chocolate Mud Cake and this cupcake size version are absolutely delicious.

                                                              DARK CHOCOLATE MUD CAKES


60g Dark Eating Chocolate,chopped coarsely
2/3 cup water
90g Butter, softened
1 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
2 Eggs
2/3 cup S.R Flour
2 T Cocoa Powder
1/3 cup Almond Meal


1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius. Line 12 hole muffin pan with
    paper cases.


2. Stir chocolate and water in a small saucepan over a low heat until
    smooth.


3. Beat butter, sugar and eggs in a small bowl with an electric mixer until
    light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour, cocoa and almond meal and warm
    chocolate mixture.


4. Drop 1/4 cup of mixture into the cases. Bake for about 25 minutes. Stand
    cakes for 5 minutes before turning top-side up onto a wire rack to cool.


5. Spread with Dark Chocolate Ganache.




DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE


1/2 cup  Cream
200g Dark eating Chocolate, chopped finely


1. Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. When
    bubbles subside, add chocolate; stir until smooth.


2. Ganache can be used while still warm and pourable, or it can be cooled
   and beaten lightly with a wooden spoon until spreadable. For a lighter and
   fluffier ganache- referred to as a whipped ganache- beat the cooled mixture
   in a small bowl with an electric mixer. 




COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-


* Undecorated cakes are suitable to freeze.


* Ganache can be made with milk, dark or white eating-quality chocolate. For
  milk and dark chocolate use 200g and use 360g when using white chocolate.

COCO POP MUFFINS

Coco Pops are a childhood favourite, and if you grew up in a home like mine they were only a once in a blue moon treat. So when I found this recipe for Coco Pop Muffins it definitely sparked memories of this childhood forbidden fruit. These muffins definitely went down a treat with my children especially as I'm following the family tradition of only buying them on the rare occasion the cruel mother that I am that insists my children eat a nutritious breakfast instead (ha ha).

                                                        COCO POP MUFFINS


2 cups S.R. Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
2 cups Coco Pops breakfast cereal
100g Butter, melted
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup ButterMilk
1 teasp. vanilla Essence


1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease a 12 x 1/2 cup capacity muffin
   pan. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Add sugar and 1 3/4 cups Coco 
   Pops. Stir well to combine.


2. Combine butter, egg, buttermilk and vanilla in a jug. Add buttermilk 
    mixture to dry ingredients. Using a metal spoon, stir until just combined.


3. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared muffin holes.Sprinkle tops with
    remaining Coco Pops. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted
    into centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a
    wire rack. Serve warm.


COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-


* To reheat, place 2 muffins at a time on a microwave safe plate. Heat for 
   45 seconds on MEDIUM (50%) power until warm. 

CHEESY MEATBALLS WITH SPAGHETTI

                                             CHEESY MEATBALLS WITH SPAGHETTI


500g Beef Mince (or can use pork and veal)
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 cup grated Tasty Cheese
1 Onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped Basil 
1 T Olive Oil
570g jar of favourite Pasta Sauce-Chunky Style
400g Dried Spaghetti
Basil Leaves,to serve.


1. Combine mince, egg, cheese, onion and basil. Season with salt and 
    pepper and roll into balls. 


 2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook half the meatballs for 4-5 
    minutes so as not to overcrowd the pan. Remove into a dish and finish 
    cooking remaining balls.


3. Return the meatballs to the pan and pour over sauce. Cover, cook over
    a medium heat for 20 minutes until cooked through.


4. Cook spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water, as per packet directions. 
    Drain and place in bowl. Spoon over meatballs and sauce.


5. Serve with basil leaves and extra cheese.

BOLOGNESE MUFFINS

Most people have Spaghetti Bolgnese as part of the regular cooking repetoire so when I found this recipe for Bolognese Muffins I thought this was a fresh twist on an old favourite. The kids loved them and they were great in the school lunchboxes and as after school snacks.

                                                              BOLOGNESE MUFFINS
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 small brown Onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teasp. fresh Thyme Leaves
200g lean Beef Mince
1 T Tomato Paste
125g Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
2 T Tomato Sauce
2 cups S.R Flour, sifted
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/2 cup Milk
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 T finely grated Parmesan Cheese, EXTRA


1. Heat 2 teasp.oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion,
    garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until onion has 
    softened. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up 
    mince for 5-6 minutes or until browned.


2. Add tomato paste and cherry tomatoes. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir
   in tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until
   tomato softens, Remove from heat. Set aside to cool completely.


3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease a 12 hole, 1/3 cup capacity 
   muffin pan. Combine flour and parmesan in a bowl. Make a well in the
   centre. Whisk milk, egg and remaining oil together in a jug. Add egg 
   mixture and tomato mixture to well. Stir until just combined.


4. Spoon mixture evenly between prepared holes. Sprinkle with extra 
   parmesan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and just firm to the
   touch. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm.


COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-


* Reheat muffins in the microwave on HIGH(100%) for 20 seconds or until
   warmed.

CARBONARA WITH CHICKEN MINI MEATBALLS

My family is a big fan of Carbonara so when I found this recipe for Carbonara with Chicken Mini Meatballs I knew that they would absolutely love this recipe, and I was right.

                                          CARBONARA WITH CHICKEN MINI MEATBALLS
400g Spaghetti
4 Italian Chicken Sausages
2T Olive Oil
200g Bacon, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
3 Eggs plus 1 extra Yolk
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
1/2 cup Thickened Cream
1/4 cup Chopped Parsley


1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water following packet
    instructions.


2. Meanwhile, squeeze sausage mince from casings. Roll heaped teaspoons
   into balls. Arrange on a tray and chill 10 minutes.


3. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium. Cook meatballs 2-3 minutes, turning 
   until well browned all over. Add bacon to pan and saute 2-3 minutes, until
   beginning to crisp.Reduce heat to low and stir in garlic. Cook 30 seconds.
   Remove from heat and set aside.


4.  In a jug, whisk eggs, yolk, parmesan and cream together. Season to
    taste.


5. Drain pasta and return to pan with meatball mixture. While still hot, pour 
   egg mixture over, tossing to combine. serve sprinkled with parsley and
   extra parmesan. 

CHINESE HONEY CHICKEN

Chinese Honey Chicken has always been a favourite in our house when we've ordered Chinese Takeaway for dinner, with the one notable exception being my eldest twin daughter Eliza who almost has a meltdown when we even mention we're thinking about ordering Chinese. I don't know what it is that she doesn't like about it, she just can't stand it, and this is a child who will eat and try anything, she's the furtherest thing from a fussy eater. However, I can say proudly that she ate this Chinese Honey Chicken without complaints so maybe it's just a Mother's touch that made the difference because to be honest I couldn't tell a huge difference between this one I made and the one you order takeaway.The one notable difference I can happily say is that it didn't cost as much to make as it does to buy. All I can say is give it a go, you might just be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make your own Chinese Honey Chicken at home.

                                                                      CHINESE HONEY CHICKEN
1 cup S.R. Flour
1 T Chinese Five Spice
1teasp. Ground Black Pepper
1 1/4 cups Soda Water, chilled
1 Egg, lightly beaten
500g Chicken Breast, trimmed, sliced
1/4 cup Cornflour
1/2 cup Honey
2 T Peanut Oil


1. In a large bowl, combine self-raising flour, spice and pepper. Make a well in
   the centre and whisk in soda water and egg until smooth.


2. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high, until a drop of batter sizzles as soon as
    it's added.


3. Meanwhile, dust chicken pieces in cornflour, shaking off excess. Working
   in two batches, dip chicken in batter, wipe excess off and gently lower 
   into hot oil. Deep fry, turning with a slotted spoon, 2-3 minutes until
   crisp and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.


4. In a small saucepan combine honey and peanut oil. Stir on medium heat 1
    minute until runny. Pour honey mixture over hot chicken, toss to coat well.

MACARONI WITH CABANOSSI AND TOMATO

On those nights when you just want to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible, this Macaroni with Cabanossi and Tomato is a recipe that can do just  that. You may also find that the simplicity of the recipe will probably mean too that you may have the majority of the ingredients already in your cupboard.To those of you who are trying to live on some sort of budget, finding recipes that contain most of the ingredients you already have at home is a great way for you to save you having to spend money on too many ingredients.

                                            MACARONI WITH CABANOSSI AND TOMATO




40g Butter
2T Plain Flour
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Tasty Cheese, grated
375g Macaroni
1 T Olive Oil
2 sticks Cabanossi, sliced
250g punnet Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup Parsley Leaves
Crusty Bread, to serve


1. Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium.Stir in flour and cook, stirring,
    1 minute. Remove pan from heat and blend in milk until smooth. Return
    to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Simmer
    3 minutes. Stir in cheese and season to taste.


2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salt water following packet instructions. Drain well and return to pan. Stir hot sauce through.


3. Heat oil in a frying pan on high. Saute cabanossi 1-2 minutes. Add
   tomatoes, cook 1 minute to soften slightly. Transfer mixture to
   macaroni. Toss parsley through and serve with crusty bread. 


COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-


* I didn't have any macaroni so I just substituted penne.

QUICK CHICK BAKE

I always seem to be able to pick up chicken on special so we eat it a lot at our place, because I'm always trying new recipes I'm thankful my family never seems to get sick of chicken. To make this recipe even more affordable, instead of buying a BBQ chook I had a whole chicken I had picked up at the supermarket, got up early and cooked it in the oven before we left in the morning, threw it in the fridge and broke it up ready to use when we got home. This Quick Chick Bake has minimal ingredients but maximum taste.

                                                             QUICK CHICK BAKE
                                   
1 BBQ or Roasted Chicken
440g can Cream of Mushroom Soup
130g can Corn Kernels
1/2 cup Thickened Cream 
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup grated Swiss Cheese ( about 200g Cheese)
1/4 cup Slivered Almonds


1. Remove chicken meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. Place in an
    ovenproof casserole dish.


2. Combine soup, corn, cream and milk. Pour over chicken.


3. Sprinkle with grated cheese and almonds. Bake in a moderate oven (180 
    degrees celsius) for 45 minutes until chicken is hot and sauce has 
    thickened. Serve with steamed vegetables. Serves 4.

KUGELHOPF CAKE...German Buttercake

This German Buttercake,was really simple to make and even easier to eat.The kids absolutely loved it despite it's simplicity and I must admit I felt in making this cake I was paying homage to my great-grandparents on my Father's side who were German. 
      

                                             KUGELHOPF CAKE
2 cups S.R Flour
1 cup Butter, melted
1 cup Sugar
6 Eggs
1 teasp. Vanilla Essence
Pinch of Salt


1. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and add melted butter and sugar.
    Cream well.


2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.


3. Add the vanilla essence and a pinch of salt to taste.


4. Grease and flour a fluted ring cake tin.


5. Pour the cake mixture into the tin and bake in a moderate oven
   for approx. 1 1/2 hours (test with a skewer after 40 mins).


6. Turn cake onto a plate and dust with sifted icing sugar.


COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-


* I didn't have a fluted ring cake tin so I just improvised by using another
   tin I had, you may need to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

CRUMBED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL

I have never been a big fan of Chicken Schnitzels, they remind me too much of the some of the dried up versions you can encounter when you go out for dinner but this version is definitely a reason for me to revise my opinion on the good old Crumbed Chicken Schnitzel. 

                                                    CRUMBED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL


4 skinless Chicken Schnitzel
100g fresh Breadcrumbs
2 T finely grated Parmesan Cheese
1 T finely grated Lemon Rind
2 T finely chopped fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Leaves
1/2 cup Plain Flour
1 Egg
150ml Milk
Vegetable Oil, for shallow-frying


1. Cut each breast in half and then, using a meat hammer, pat each piece of
   chicken on each side until evenly thin(it works well if you do this between
   cling wrap).


2. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, lemon rind and parsley on a plate. 
    Season with salt and pepper. Season the flour with a little salt and pepper 
    and place on a plate.


3. Whisk egg and milk together in a shallow bowl. Coat 1 piece of chicken
    in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture. Coat in breadcrumb
    mixture. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken, flour, egg and
    breadcrumb mixture.


4. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches
   for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to 
   a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Serves 4-6.

LEMON GRASS CHICKEN

Chicken is an affordable way to feed the whole family and although I had never cooked with lemongrass before and despite the kid's joking that lemon and grass for dinner didn't seem that appetising, this Lemon Grass Chicken certainly was a hit at our place with everyone wanting seconds. I think I will definitely have to double the recipe next time.

                                              LEMON GRASS CHICKEN


1 T Peanut Oil
600g Chicken Breast Fillets, thinly sliced
1 long fresh Red Chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
2 stems Lemon Grass, pale section only, finely chopped
2 T Fish Sauce
1 T Caster Sugar
3 Shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
1/3 cup(55g) roasted Salted Peanuts, coarsely chopped
Steamed Rice, to serve




1. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add 1/3 of the
   chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until browned. Use a slotted spoon
   to transfer the chicken to a large plate. Repeat in 2 more batches, with the 
   remaining chicken, reheating the wok between batches.


2. Add the chilli and lemon grass to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute or until 
    aromatic.


3. Add the chicken, fish sauce, sugar and half the shallot to the wok and 
   stir-fry for 1 minute or until the chicken is heated through. Divide the 
   chicken mixture among serving plates. Scatter the peanuts and remaining
   shallot over the chicken. Serve with steamed rice.


COOKING HINTS FROM VON:


* I couldn't find Lemon Grass for this recipe so I bought one of the herb tubes of Lemon Grass available in the fruit and Vegie section of the supermarket.

SWEET POTATO and CORN SOUP

Oh my goodness, this soup is absolutely positively De-licious. This Sweet Potato and Corn Soup was yummy the night I made it and seemed to taste even better when I reheated it for my lunch the next day and the day after that.I doubled the recipe when I made it initially as I knew with this cold weather we have been having that we'd be needing a nice warm soup to help heat us up.

                                                   SWEET POTATO AND CORN SOUP




1 kg Sweet Potato
Cooking spray
1 teasp. Crushed Garlic
1 cup Onion, diced
1 teasp. Cumin
4 teasp. Vegetable Stock Powder
8 cups Water
2 T Honey
420g can Creamed Corn
Salt and Pepper, to taste


1. Peel sweet potato and cut into cubes. Coat a large, deep saucepan with 
   cooking spray then saute garlic and onion for 1 minute.


2. Add cumin, stock powder and the sweet potato. Mix for a further minute.


3. Add the water, honey and creamed corn and bring to the boil. Reduce heat 
    to simmer and cook for around 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then 
   puree in a food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan to reheat. Add 
   salt and  pepper to taste .

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM BREAD PIES

I really enjoyed making and eating these Chicken and Mushroom Bread Pies. I thought it was such a novel way to eat your dinner and the finished product looks great too.

                                       CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM BREAD PIES




400g Chicken Thigh Fillets, trimmed, finely chopped
200g Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 T Plain Flour
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup chopped Frozen Mixed Vegies
1 cup grated Tasty Cheese
Mixed Salad, to serve


1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Lightly grease 8 holes of 2x 6-hole
    (1 cup capacity) Texas Muffin Trays with a little butter. Using a rolling pin
    flatten bread slices. Ease into prepared holes. Bake for 5 minutes or until
    crisp.


2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a large frying pan over moderately high heat. 
    Add chicken, cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Add mushroom 
   and garlic; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour; cook and
    stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat; gradually stir in milk. Return pan to
    moderately high heat. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Add
    vegetables. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.


3. Stir half the cheese into the sauce. Spoon mixture into bread cases.
    Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden. 
    Serve with salad.

SPICED LAMB MINCE SQUARES

As I have said before, using filo pastry is a new experience for me, but one I intend to master. I must admit though that I always seem to waste sheets because it breaks as I unroll it out of the pack, but hey, I'm learning. Although I love my cooking, I have never said I'm an expert and there's always something new I can learn. Anyway, I loved making these Spiced Lamb Mince Squares, they were very quick and easy to make but most importantly, it was a truly affordable meal for anyone. One suggestion I make is that stocking up on the herbs and spices you use regularly really cuts down the expense of having to buy every ingredient you need for a recipe. In the case of this recipe, I had every ingredient either in the cupboard or freezer so  I do really recommend keeping your pantry/freezer stocked with lots of the basics. Buying a couple of extra ingredients when you do a shop is only a small expense compared to the time and expense of having to run to the shops when you haven't got specific ingredients!!

                                                     SPICED LAMB MINCE SQUARES


2 teasp. Olive Oil
1 small Brown Onion, finely chopped
500g Lamb Mince
1 teasp. Ground Allspice
1 teasp. Ground Cumin
1 teasp. Ground Cinnamon
10 sheets Filo Pastry
Sesame Seeds(optional)
Cooking Spray


1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan, sauteing onions until brown. Add mince
   and cook until browned. Add allspice, cumin and cinnamon and mix well.


2. In a shallow pan, layer six of the pastry sheets spraying cooking spray 
   between each sheet. Spread mince mixture over pastry.


3. Place 1 remaining sheet filo on a flat surface. Spray with cooking spray.
    top with 1 sheet filo. Repeat layering with remaining 2 sheets filo.Fold
    in half crossways.Place on top of mince mixture. Fold in sides to secure.


4. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in 160
   degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until golden. stand in pan 10 minutes
   to cool. Carefully turn out of pan and cut into squares.

FETTUCCINE WITH GARLIC PRAWNS AND FETA

There is nothing quite like a good seafood meal but often when one is on a budget it is not something you can always have. This Fettuccine with Garlic Prawns and Feta is affordable. It only uses 500g prawns and Coles have lowed their prices on prawns to $14kg so $7 spent on prawns is affordable for a special meal for your loved ones.

                                         FETTUCCINE with GARLIC PRAWNS and FETA
350g Fettuccine
500g raw peeled Prawns, tails intact
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2T Vegetable Oil
5 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 Lemon, rind and juice
150g Baby Spinach Leaves
100g Feta, crumbled


1. Cook fettuccine in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. 
    Drain.


2. Cook prawns and garlic with oil in a large deep frying pan for about 4-5 
    minutes, or until almost cooked. Add tomatoes, rind and juice. Cook for
    a further 2 minutes.


3. Stir in pasta and spinach. Toss to combine. Serve topped with feta.

APOLOGIES

                                 


I just want to extend my apologies to my readers who follow my blog for the infrequency of the posts these last few weeks.I am at the end of semester of my University studies and anyone who has ever studied will know that the assignments due at this stage of semester are to put it mildy, many. As I try and juggle parenting with my studies I haven't had the time I usually do to devote to my cooking but if you can all bear with me over the next few weeks I will be back on deck with my posting very soon. Lucky for you there are already plenty of recipes on my blog to keep you going while I devote extra time to the other love of my life, that is writing essays (ha ha!).