Sunday, November 20, 2011

Dish 46 - Chicken Ranch Tacos

Chicken Ranch Tacos
Prep Time: 25min; Total Time: 25min; Serves: 5 (2 tacos each)

Ingredients:
1 box Stand & Stuff taco shells (10 shells)
3 cups cut up deli rotisserie chicken
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Chunky salsa
Avocado
Sour Cream

Method:
  1. Heat oven to 325oF. Heat taco shells in oven as directed on box.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, place chicken. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix; toss gently to coat. Microwave uncovered on high 2-3 minutes or until hot. Stir in ranch dressing.
  3. Spoon warm chicken mixture into heated taco shells. Top with remaining ingredients to desired taste.
Recipe Source: Betty Crocker

Dish 45 - Grandma Ellie's Sweet & Sour Chicken

Grandma Ellie's Sweet & Sour Pork
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 lb pork (I used chicken as Big Spring doesn't like pork and sometimes I don't either!)
1 cup pineapple chunks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp chopped/grated ginger root
Cooked rice, for serving

Method:
  1. Brown meat in large saucepan.
  2. Add pineapple chunks, sugar, vinegar, soya sauce and salt.
  3. Mix together flour and water, getting rid of any lumps. Add to saucepan.
  4. Add pineapple juice and ginger root. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens slightly.
  5. Serve with the cooked rice.
Recipe Source: Based on Grandma Ellie's recipe tin

Dish 44 - Grandma Ellie's Canned Corn & Spaghetti Casserole

Grandma Ellie's Canned Corn & Spaghetti Casserole
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups canned corn, drained
1 cup cooked spaghetti
1 egg
1 cup milk
Rolled cracker crumbs
Several Strings of bacon, finely chopped

Method:
  1. Butter casserole dish.
  2. Alternate layers of corn and spaghetti.
  3. Beat egg and milk and pour over corn and spaghetti.
  4. Top with rolled cracker crumbs and bacon.
  5. Bake in moderate oven (300oF) until corn mixture is thoroughly heated and bacon crisps.
Notes: I think that next time I make this, I'll put in less milk and at least one more egg... there was quite a lot of liquid in the casserole, even after I'd left it in the oven for quite a while. Also, it might be nice to put some grated cheese on top, before placing in the oven.

Recipe Source:
Grandma Ellie's recipe tin

Dish 43 - Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding
Cooking Time: 45min; Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Pudding
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tsp cocoa
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/4 cups boiling water

Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 190oC.
  2. Sift flour and 2 tsp cocoa.
  3. Cream butter and caster sugar. Add egg, mix well.
  4. Stir in flour and milk alternatively. Pour into greased ovenproof dish.
  5. Make sauce: combine brown sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle on top of mixture in dish and pour boiling water gently over all of this.
  6. Bake at 190oC for 45 minutes.
  7. Serve with ice cream.
Notes: You can microwave for 8 minutes on medium power if you can't wait the 45 minutes to cook in the oven!

Recipe Source:
Cookery the Australian Way, Fourth Edition - my home economics cookbook from high school days! This recipe got me through my batchelorette days when I needed a chocolate fix, but had none in the house!

Dish 42 - Quick & Easy Quiche

Quick & Easy Quiche
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
4 oz bacon, finely chopped
4 oz grated cheese
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tomato

Method:
  1. Mix together all ingredients, except for tomato, and pour into pie plate.
  2. Slice tomato and put on top of mixture for decoration.
  3. Bake at 190oC until set (approximately 40 minutes).
  4. Serve with a fresh salad.

Recipe Source: Recipe collection book from a friend's kitchen tea, many years ago!

Dish 41 - Orange Zested Chicken Breasts

Orange Zested Chicken Breasts
Prep Time: 20min; Total Time: 20min; Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 tsp grated orange peel
4 chicken breast fillets

Method:
  1. In a small bowl, mix seasoned salt and garlic powder.
  2. In fry pan, heat butter and orange peel over medium heat until butter is melted. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt mixture. Cook about 15 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when centre of thickest part is cut.
  3. Serve with steamed green beans and potatoes.
Recipe Source: From Betty Crocker

Dish 40 - HamBob's Angel Biscuits

HamBob's Angel Biscuits
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp (or 1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water (100oF-110oF)
3 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening

Method:
  1. Mix buttermilk and baking soda together.
  2. Mix yeast, sugar, salt and water together. Let stand until foamy.
  3. Combine flour and shortening, stirring with a fork until mixed well. Mix in buttermilk mixture. Mix in yeast mixture (dough will be wet.) Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1hr).
  4. Pat out dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a heavily floured board. Cut biscuits with a 2-inch cutter. Place on a baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 400oF.
  6. Bake biscuits 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Notes: I don't know if I did something wrong, but at step 4. the dough was really, really wet. I therefore sprinkled flour on top of the mixture before patting it down, or else it would have just stuck to my hands in a really bad way. If you try this recipe, please let me know how you go! The original recipe suggests that you "split and fill with thinly sliced country ham."

Recipe Source: Emailed to me by my aunty, who sourced it from a "Sunday insert". She suggested it goes really well with the family's homemade applebutter, so I tried it... and it was fantastic! My aunty also suggested that this goes well with chilli!

Angel Biscuit with the "Leible Homemade Applebutter" - delicious!

Dish 39 - Creamy Tortellini Casserole

Creamy Tortellini Casserole
Prep Time: 20min; Total Time: 35min; Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1 packet fresh tortellini
1/2 cup finely crushed buttery crackers

Method:
  1. Heat oven to 350oF. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.
  2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook carrots and onion in butter about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in flour and salt. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in cheese, peas and tortellini. Spoon into casserole dish. Sprinkle with crackers.
  4. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes, or until edge begins to bubble.
Recipe Source: From Betty Crocker

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Dish 38 - Pumpkin Fudge Brownies

Pumpkin Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:
1/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa*
1/2 cup choc chips

1/4 tsp Cinnamon


Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350oF.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients together.
  3. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder*. Stir until well-blended.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Spread batter into greased pan (9x9in) and sprinkle with cinnamon.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a fork inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Notes: *the cocoa made the brownies, well, very "cocoa-y". I would suggest reducing the amount of cocoa used but this is a matter of taste. If you are worried about tasting the pumpkin, well you can't! They just taste like chocolately goodness! Admittedly, I preferred my other brownie recipe to this one, but wouldn't be opposed to making this again, with reduced cocoa.

Recipe Source:
From Savvy Eats

Dish 37 - Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Prep Time: 15min; Total Time: 8hr15min; Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pkt french onion soup
6oz canned mushrooms
1/4 tsp pepper
8oz cream cheese, cubed
8oz sour cream
6 cups cooked pasta

Method:
  1. In slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms and pepper.
  2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours, or until beef is very tender.
  3. Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over pasta.
Recipe Source: From Betty Crocker

Dish 36 - Chicken & Rice Casserole

Chicken & Rice Casserole with Roasted Red Peppers
Prep Time: 30min; Total Time: 30min; Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 pkts quick rice (250gm each)
500ml chicken stock
370gms cooked chicken, shredded
200gm roasted bell peppers, chopped
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method:
  1. Add rice and stock to large fry pan and heat rice.
  2. Add chicken, roasted peppers and salad dressing; mix well. Cover; cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until thorough heated, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into ungreased casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
  3. Grill under heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker

Dish 35 - Potato Salad

Potato Salad

Ingredients:
Potatoes
Eggs
Bacon
Spring Onions
Parsley
Potato Salad Dressing (I use ETA brand)

Method:
  1. Cut up potatoes into desired size, leaving skin on. Boil until firm but tender. Allow to cool
  2. Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs. Once cool, cut up into small cubes.
  3. Finely dice the bacon and pan fry until cooked through.
  4. Finely slice spring onions and finely chop parsley.
  5. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl and add salad dressing.
  6. Place in a fridge until chilled/required.
Note: I have not included any quantities in the ingredients as I was not given any myself. Use quantities to your desired taste.

Recipe Source:
Verbally through a friend.