Take a Kilo of Mince

Like a lot of families on a tight budget, we eat quite a few mince dishes.  Mince is no longer cheap, but the ability to stretch a little bit a very long way makes it an economical meat when trying to balance a budget in a hungry household.  Tonight as I cooked one of our family favourites, Macaroni Beef, I began to number off the alternatives we like using mince.  U.S. readers may know this as ground beef.

Macaroni Beef

Spaghetti Bolognese

Lasagna

Curried Mince

Savoury Mince

Chow Mien Mince

Tacos

Rissoles

Shepherd's Pie

Meat Pie

Obviously some of these are eaten with pasta of some shape or rice or potato.

Please share with me any relatively simple and economical ,
tried and true, mince recipes.

Kute Kitchen Kitsch

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Summer Delights

It's Thursday, 10.30am and we are enjoying our Morning Tea break. I thought I would share these last delicious slivers of mango with you!

Especially those of you in colder places who might be craving some tropical fruit. This is a delicious Bowen Special. We don't have a tree ourselves, but we never buy mangoes as they are so plentiful in gardens here.

JJ brought this one over the other night when she came for tea and it is absolutely delicious! Cold, sweet mmmmmmm...........

Unbelievably Easy No Fail Recipe!!!

This is one of those recipes which just always seems to come out well and the children love it! Since our home school group has swimming on Friday mornings and we have a birthday in the family this weekend I made it to share for morning tea after swimming. It is very big so ideal for the big numbers.

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Boiled Chocolate Cake

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3cups sugar

2 cups water

250g margarine

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons cocoa

3 cups SR Flour

4 eggs, well beaten

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Boil the first 5 ingredients

Allow to cool

Beat in flour, then eggs

Bake in a LARGE cake tin in moderate oven for 40 - 45 mins

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(I actually use a baking dish or two ordinary tins)

Pumpkin Soup

1 kg (2lb) pumpkin

750g 1.5 lb) tomatoes

500g (1lb) onions

pepper and salt

water

2 chicken stock cubes

Peel pumpkin and cut into pieces; skin tomatoes; peel and chop onions. Put all vegetables in pan. Add water to cover, stir in crumbled stock cubes.

Bring to boil; reduce heat, simmer until pumpkin is tender. Puree or rub through sieve. Season to taste. (Refrigerate if serving cold) Garnish with a little sour cream and chopped chives.

Serves 6 to 8. We love this as a hot soup but is nice cold as well.

I usually put the ingredients into the crock pot, with a couple of peeled, diced potatoes and slow cook until soft.

(The picture above is not mine! I have never actually served Pumpkin Soup out of the pumpkin.)

for Aussie Cooks. I have used this basic recipe from the good old Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook for over twenty years!

Macaroni Beef

This is another of my families favourites. At first glance there do seem to be a lot of steps but once you've made it, it is quite easy. This is one of standbys for a meal when families have a need or a new baby, you can make the quantity as huge as needed. It also freezes well so is ideal to make in bulk. Also known as Poor Man's Lasagna. Macaroni Beef

Meat sauce

1kg mince

2 x 240g cans Tomato Soup

2 small onions finely diced

1.5 cups grated carrot

1.5 cups grated zucchini

1 cup frozen peas

4 level tablespoons tomato paste

4 level teaspoons beef stock powder

6 cups cooked macaroni noodles

a pinch of salt (optional)

Topping

2 level tablespoons butter or margarine

6 level tablespoons plain flour

3 cups skim milk

1.5 cups grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180 C

Meat Sauce: Cook mince in a large non stick saucepan. Drain liquid then return mince to pot. Add in carrots, zucchini, onion, peas and soup. Cook 2 mins stirring continuously. Add stock powder, tomato paste, and salt , cook a further 5 mins stirring frequently. Fold in cooked macaroni noodles and mix together well. Pour mixture into 2 large oblong dishes.

Topping: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, cook 1 minute. Slowly add milk using a whisk to avoid lumps, stir continuously. Pour sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 25-30 mins or until golden brown.

Serves 12

Good with some crusty bread and a salad.

I confess my topping is always lumpy when I use this recipe so I substitute my usual white sauce using cornflour and always get a good smooth consistancy.

Wisdom from my Kitchen

This gem was at the bottom of the page of this recipe. I think it is worth sharing!

HOW TO PRESERVE A HUSBAND

Be careful in the selection. Do not choose too ripe or too old. Best results if he has been reared in a healthy atmosphere. Some insist on keeping him in a pickle, others prefer to keep him in hot water, such treatment may make husband sour, hard and sometimes bitter. Many housewives have found that even poor varieties can be rendered tender and good by a garnish of patience, the sweetening of a smile, and the flavouring of a kiss to taste. Wrap him in a mantle of charity, place him over a warm steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream!

When thus preserved a husband will keep for years!

Apple Crumble

My family gets very excited when we have visitors for dinner. Yes, they love the company but I think the fact that I break out and make dessert is part of the general enjoyment!

Did you all make Apple Crumble in Year 8 Home Economics classes? I remember we used a great little practical recipe book called Day to Day Cookery. My copy has disappeared long since- somewhere in a move? Who knows, but Apple Crumble is simple. I'm sure you know it too but I'll post it anyway,

for Justin.

Apple Crumble

1. Peel and slice 6 green apples.

2. Cover with water. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.

3. Stew until just soft.

4. Drain off most of the juice and place in a dessert size baking dish.

5. In a bowl mix approx. half cup plain flour, half cup coconut, half cup brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon.

6. Rub dabs of soft butter through the mixture.

7. Cover the stewed apple with the crumble.

8. Bake in moderate oven until top is golden.

Serve with ice cream/ custard or cream.

"Better a dinner with herbs where love is, then a stalled ox and hatred therewith."

Chicken Casserole

I am sure you all have very tasty tried and true Chicken Casserole recipes. I have several. They rarely come out exactly the same :-)
This one has
*chicken drumsticks
*onion
*carrots
*tin of tomatoes
*2 tablespoons tomato paste

*gravy mix
* frozen peas and corn added shortly before serving.

We had this with potatoes in their jackets.

Now a confession. I actually made a dish this week which was a flop. {gasp} I don't know why I flunked. It was a simple casserole which I intended to take to friends. The gravy was like tasteless glue! Never mind. It happens I guess. No pics of that one :-(

Chocolate Slice

1. Combine well dry ingredients:
1 cup Self Raising flour
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup desiccated Coconut
1 cup rolled Oats
1 tablespoon Cocoa

2. Add 125g melted butter and 1 beaten egg.

3. Mix until all dry ingredients are moist.

4. Press evenly into a greased or lined slice tray.

5. Cook in moderate oven until firm. (Approx 20 mins)

6. When cool, ice with chocolate icing and decorate if desired with Sprinkles or Coconut.

I sometimes make this slice without cocoa and ice it with a lemon or yogurt icing. Yum! We call that "Anzac Slice" but it is like a muesli bar.

I've also made it successfully with nuts and that is yummy, too.

Easy Peasy Sausage Pie

The boys made this very simple pie in their cooking session with JJ this week.

YUM!!!

6 sausages

boiling water
375g puff pastry
4 eggs
sprinkle of salt and pepper

1. Put sausages in a pan. Pour boiling water over. Leave until cool.

2. When cool, carefully peel the skin from the sausages.

3. Cut pastry in half. Roll half out and line a 25cm square tine with it.

4. Slice sausages and arrange in the tin.

5. Beat eggs, salt and pepper. Gently pour over sausages.

6. Roll out rest of pastry to make a lid. Place over sausages.

7. Seal the edges well. Prick the top with a fork.

8. Bake it at 190C for 45 minutes.



The boys used bought puff pastry sheets which eliminated a couple of steps.
They love to make tea (dinner) for the family and we had this with salad.
It is really just a lidded quiche, so next time they can add a lot more goodies to the mix.

Today they had a really great Science session with their visiting teacher.

As we are registered with Groves Christian College, we have at least two home visits per year.

I has been a good opportunity for me to discuss further our struggles in some departments.

We have a very supportive teacher.

We ♥ Salmon Casserole!

It has been a busy but very good week for me☺ I have learned many life changing things - one being how to do ♥s and ☺s and ¼,½ & ¾!! Enlightenment! Thanks Jillian.

I have never posted recipes. I do enjoy seeing what other people make and what their families like. So, here's one my hubby loves and a good way to get a little fish into the diet. We had it with salad and garlic bread last night but it is easy to throw in some frozen vegies and have an all in one meal.

Salmon Casserole

2 cups drained flaked salmon

2 cups cooked rice

½cup grated tasty cheese,

½cup Carnation (evaporated) milk

1 x 16oz can asparagus soup (or mushroom)

1 medium finely diced onion

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Topping

3/4 cup slightly crushed breakfast cereal

2 oz melted butter for topping

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Combine: Salmon, rice, cheese, soup, carnation milk and onion in a bowl.

Place: in a casserole dish (greased)

Mix: Breakfast cereal and melted butter

Sprinkle: over casserole

Bake: uncovered in moderate oven for about 30 mins or until heated through and top is golden brown.

(Carol's recipe. Serves 4 and my dish is doubled.)

I am not a great cook but I like cooking and I've had the greatest appreciation shown by my family. When we have fellowship meals they are very disappointed if they don't manage to get any of Mum's dish onto their plate! Considering the skills of some of our friends, that is a great compliment!

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith." Proverbs 15:17