Gourmet on a Shoestring

Makes 1 Standard Size Bowl

Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words – ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). This recipe has been improved time and time again to perfection! It’s a delicious, fresh and healthy dip or pita bread spread.

Ingredients

2 ripe Avocados
1/3 small Red Onion, minced
¼ teaspoon of Chilli
¼ teaspoon of Garlic
1 teaspoon of Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
Sprinkle of ground Black Pepper
3/4 ripe Tomato

Method

No need to pre-chop any ingredients if you have a blender. Simply put all ingredients into the blender and spin! Otherwise, pre-chop as directed in ingredients list and mash thoroughly.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, pita bread or nachos.

Top Guacamole Tips:

• Guacamole can last 4-5 days if you store correctly. Put the avocado seed in the bowl of guacamole, don’t ask why this works – it just does! Then cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation (turning brown) as a result of the air reaching it, and keep in the fridge.
• To extend a limited supply of avocados, add either sour cream or cream (cottage) cheese to your guacamole. Guacamole purists may be horrified, but it’s great!

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My current favourite cake – so quick and easy, with delicious crunchy edges and warm moist filling. It’s also equally yummy cold!

Ingredients

For the caramelised pears:

• 3 small Pears, peeled, quartered with centres and stalks removed (reasonably firm, but not rock hard)
• 25g unsalted Butter
• 1 tbsp granulated Sugar

For the cake:

• 150g unsalted Butter, softened
• 125g Caster Sugar
• 2 medium Eggs
• 75g wholemeal Flour
• 75g Almond Meal
• Pinch of Cinnamon
• teaspoon of Almond Essence

Method

Preheat oven to 170oC. Prepare a spring-form tin (20cm) with a greaseproof paper bottom and sides.

First caramelise the pears, add the butter to a frying pan under a medium-high heat, as it starts to froth add the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then add the pears. Move them around the pan so they go equally caramelised all over. This should take between 5 and 10 minutes. Once ready leave them to cool.

Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and beat until fluffy. Add an egg at a time, while beating the mixture, with each egg add a tablespoon of flour. Once both eggs have been beaten in, add the remaining flour, sugar, almonds, almond essence and cinnamon and fold in.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, then add the pears on top evenly, leaving them sitting on top of the cake. Pour the buttery pan juices on top of the cake. Put in the oven for 40-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool for another 5 minutes, either eat warm with ice cream or eat cold later on.

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Chicken & Mushroom Risotto

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Serves 6

Adapted from a basic risotto recipe from Jamie Oliver.

“I think this is the best basic risotto recipe you will come across – you will find it really easy. I assure you that once you’ve got the knack you’ll carry on making it all the time and it won’t let you down. You can so easily enhance it by adding different seasonal ingredients. So here’s the basic risotto, which will give you an amazingly creamy base, followed by some simple recipes to take the dish in completely different directions.”

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken Breast, sliced in thin bite-sized strips
• 1 bag of Button Mushrooms, chopped
• Approx. 1 litre Stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 medium Onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 head Celery, finely chopped
• 400g Arborio Rice
• Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
• 2 glasses dry White Wine
• 70g Butter
• 100g freshly grated Parmesan, omit for the prawn recipe
• Basil for garnish

Method

1. Heat stock. Cook chicken and mushrooms in a frypan whilst cooking the risotto and leave aside until Stage 3. In a separate large frypan heat the olive oil, add the onion, garlic and celery and slowly fry for about 3 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice, season with salt and pepper and turn up the heat.
2. The rice will now begin to fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent having absorbed all the flavors from the vegetables. Add the wine and keep stirring — it will smell fantastic as it sizzles around the rice.
3. Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt, but be careful not too make it too salty. Turn down the heat to a highish simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladles of stock, stirring and allowing each ladle of liquid to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice — is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Add chicken and mushrooms when the rice is half cooked.
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan, if using. Stir gently. Place lid on pan and allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the risotto as this is when it becomes really creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat as soon as possible while the risotto retains its perfect texture.

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Fried rice is so easy, its one of those meals you can  cook up when it looks like you have nothing to eat in the fridge. AND the kids love it! This recipe has the perfect amount of flavour, I find if I start getting generous with the sauces it becomes too strong.

Ingredients

• 5 cups cooked long grain White Rice (1.5 cups uncooked)
• 2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
• 4 large Free Range Eggs beaten
• 4 Garlic Cloves diced
• 1 medium brown onion finely diced
• ½ cup roughly chopped rindless Bacon rashes or other meat
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons shao hsing wine
• 1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
• 3 teaspoons Soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 3 small eschallots, sliced
• 1 cup peas, cooked
• Any other vegies of your choice, such as spinach, spouts etc.

Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a hot wok, pour beaten eggs into wok and cook for about 1 minute, lightly scrambling them and rotating the wok to ensure even cooking. Set aside
• Add extra oil and stir-fry and onion for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender.
• Add bacon and garlic and stir-fry for a further minute, or until lightly browned.
• Stir in sugar and wine, then stir-fry for 30 seconds.
• Finally, add rice, reserved omelette, peas, oyster sauce, spring onions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until rice is heated through.
• Roughly chop omelette into smaller pieces as you stir.
• Divide rice between individual bowls and garnish with extra spring onions.

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Makes approx. 25 squares

I received this recipe from a friend and modified it slightly – I have lowered the sugar content hugely so the resulting muesli ‘bars’ are sweet enough but won’t send the kids over the edge!

Note: for the dried berries I used a pre-packaged mix of  cranberries, blueberries, and cherries from the supermarket, and handful of goji berries and sultanas, but if you are on a real budget you can simply use just sultanas.

Ingredients

• 30g Butter
• shredded coconut 125g
• dried berries and sultanas 250g
• rolled oats 90g
• whole almonds 200g
• sunflower seeds 125g
• wheat germ/oat bran 80g
• brown sugar 100g
• honey 100ml
• vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C and line a 23 cm square tin with baking paper.
2. On a baking tray combine oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. Bake until toasted and fragrant, 5-10 mins at 180.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine coconut, cherries, blueberries and set aside.
4. Add hot oat mixture to the fruit mixture and stir till combined.
5. In saucepan over medium heat melt butter, add sugar, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir till sugar dissolves, bring to boil then remove from heat and pour over fruit mixture.
6. Using a large spoon gently stir together until well combined.
7. Scoop the mixture into tin, and using a spoon firmly press making compact and even layer.
8. Let set in pan for 10 mins or until cool. Invert onto cutting board, lift off tin and cut into squares.

These will keep for over a week in an airtight container in the cupboard. Great for snacks or lunch boxes!

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Prep and Cooking time: 60 mins Serves 6

This lasagne is very hearty yet also very fresh and light (low fat too!). You will eat your heart out and won’t leave the table feeling heavy. Delicious! To save money with this one, you can get the Ricotta from the deli, buy the Coles brand lasagne sheets, and grab whichever pasta sauce is on special.

Ingredients

400g minced Chicken
1 Red Capsicum, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Red Chilli, finely chopped (very mild)
440g can Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
575g jar Tomato-based Pasta Sauce
400g can Crushed Tomatoes
375g fresh Lasagne sheets
375g Ricotta Cheese
½ cup Tasty Cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Heat a big non-stick fry pan to high and add chicken. Break clumps up with a wooden spoon as you brown chicken.
3. Add capsicum, chilli, beans, pasta sauce and tomatoes, and stir to combine.
4. Grease lasagne dish with a small amount of olive oil (use a brush or spray). Cut pasta to size and place a layer on the bottom of the dish, then alternate sauce and pasta layers, finishing with a pasta layer (you should fit 5 or 6 layers).
5. Spread ricotta over the pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.
6. Bake for 30mins or until cheese starts to brown slightly. Stand for 5 minutes, then serve with green salad.

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Prep time: 20 min Cooking time: 35 min Serves 6

This rich Italian dish is another of my favourites and is also great comfort food. Just the thought makes my stomach groan in hunger! This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart, and I find bacon bits is easier to find in your supermarket deli, cheaper and just as yummy.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
283g Pancetta, sliced into small rectangles (or 300g of bacon bits)
1 tablespoon Garlic (or two cloves)
500g Spaghetti
1 cup Thickened Cream
3-4 large Egg yolks
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente, about 8 minute. While spaghetti is cooking, whisk cream, egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
3. In a pan over medium heat fry the garlic and olive oil for a few minutes, then add pancetta (or bacon bits) and cook until browned. Drain on paper towel.
4. Drain pasta, and return to pot. Immediately stir in egg/cheese mixture until well combined
5. Add warm pancetta/bacon. Toss well.
6. Thin sauce with additional cream, if necessary. Serve immediately with more Parmesan cheese as a garnish.

(Alternative: substitute parmesan with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano – more expensive)

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Cooking time: 40 mins Serves 6

This recipe is one of my all-time biggest hits on the dinner table, and it used to be one of the only things I knew how to cook in my university days (thanks to my ex Greg!). It is a sure fire winner with anyone NOT on a diet (although dieters are usually happy to make an exception in this case). It is also one of my easiest and quickest recipes – I’m not usually one to buy pre-made sauces, but this pesto really makes this amazing and it would take you hours to make it yourself. You will never go to Fasta Pasta again!
(If you can’t find Leggo’s Sundried Tomato Pesto,  substitute with another concentrated red pesto.)

Ingredients

500g packet of fettuccine
400g chicken breast
¼ cup sliced kalamata olives
¼ cup sliced semi-dried tomatos
1 cup thickened cream (add more if you want more sauce)
1 jar of Leggo’s Sundried Tomato Pesto

Method

1. Chop the chicken into bite-sized cubes, and drain olives and semi-dried tomatos.
2. Bring your biggest pot full of salted water to a rapid boil, then add fettuccine and stir to ensure they don’t stick together.
3. Add chicken to a very hot pan with a dash of olive oil, and cook until just browned.
4. Add jar of pesto and let sizzle for a minute, then add the olives, tomatos and cream.
5. Cover and let it simmer on very low for 5 minutes, or until ready to serve.
6. Drain pasta and serve into bowls with a few big spoonfuls of sauce on top – this sauce is very rich so you don’t need much!

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Serves 5

A delicious, thick and hearty soup. So creamy and filling, but won’t leave you with a heavy feeling afterward, like so many other meals.

Ingredients

• 6 medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 5 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 Leeks, chopped finely
• 2 teaspoons Butter
• 1 cup thickened Cream
• 1 Onion, chopped finely
• ½ teaspoon of Garlic
• 3 slices of Panchetta, chopped coarsely(or a handful of Bacon Bits – cheaper!)
• Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste
• 1 slice of thick bread in 1cm cubes (optional)

Method

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the potatoes and stock and allow to simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, if using bread bits, heat half the butter in a saucepan; sauté bread until browned and crisp. Put to the side. Then fry pancetta (or bacon) in a the same hot saucepan until crisp, and set aside.
3. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the leeks, garlic and onion to the saucepan with the remaining butter for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender (should look bright green and transparent).
4. Meanwhile, mash the potatoes in the pot they were cooking in.
5. Add the leeks, cream, and panchetta/bacon to the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Easy, delicious and healthy finger food, suitable from 9 months old and right up to adult! I make this as a quick portable lunch for my baby (no teeth), the kids and myself. You can add any vegetables you like, zucchini is a great one too.

Makes 15 small pikelets.

Ingredients

• 100g Flour
• ¼ teaspoon Bi-carb Soda
• 150ml Milk
• 1 Egg
• 75g finely grated Carrot (approx. 1 carrot)
• 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Cheese
• Butter for frying

Method

• Sift flour and bi-carb into a mixing bowl, along with the egg and milk. Whisk thoroughly.
• Add grated carrot and parmesan, and mix well.
• Heat the butter in the pan until hot and then add small spoonfuls of pikelet mix into the pan.
• When bubbles form in the pikelets, flip over.

Place cooked pikelets onto a paper towel until ready to eat! Can be served with a cheesy dipping sauce (see Béchamel sauce recipe) or some sweet chilli and mayonnaise.

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