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.
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.
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!).
