Category: Recipes

The Recipe Book

Cooking! The Chore We Either Love or Hate….

I have always found the hardest part of cooking is just figuring out what to cook. Day in and day out, we have to come up with ways of tempting our taste buds with something different, because let’s face it, the old standard of steak and three veg. can only go so far. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s your favourite food. For almost 70 years my dear old dad fronted up each night for his staple diet of steak and veg., without ever tiring of it. None of that fancy pasta stuff for him. And I’m not sure if it was anything to do with my mum’s early attempts at cooking or not, but he always ordered his steak ‘to look like it had been nailed to a tree in a bushfire‘. Perhaps he’d grown to like it that way, or perhaps he really did prefer it to be well done – and I mean ‘REALLY‘ well done.

Let’s Share The Love … of those old recipes

If you’ve got a favourite recipe that’s been handed down through the ages, or one you’ve copied from a magazine in the Dentist’s Office, how about sharing it here? We could all do with a bit of variety in our lives, especially when it comes to cooking and eating.

One of the recipes that was handed down through my family was Grandma’s omelette recipe. With ten hungry mouths to feed when times were tough, Grandma knew how to stretch the budget. With just an egg and a slice of bread for each person, she could whip up a very filling meal. Two generations and a lot of years later, I would use that old recipe to whip up a tasty breakfast or lunch for my family (and occasionally even a quick dinner after a long day at work).  Quick, easy and reasonably nutritious – and the family loved it.

Grandma’s Omelette (serves 1 or 2)

Adjust the ingredients depending on the number of serves: 1 egg and 1 slice of bread for each person.

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 slices of bread (with crusts removed)
  • season to taste

Method:

  1. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl
  2. Tear the bread into small pieces and place in the bowl with the eggs
  3. Add seasoning
  4. Use a fork to beat the eggs and bread  – you don’t have to be too fussy with this – a few lumps are okay
  5. Heat a lightly greased frying pan on a medium heat
  6. Pour half the mixture into the pan – it will look like a pancake
  7. Cook until bubbles form around the edge of the mixture and it is reasonably ‘set’ in the middle
  8. Flip the mixture over and cook the other side
  9. Repeat with the remaining mixture

Enjoy…..

Notes: 

You can add any ingredients you have on hand, including chopped onion, tomato, ham, even cheese (my favourite). Mix the additional ingredients in after beating the eggs and bread.

 

Creamy Cauliflower and Garlic Rice

Creamy Cauliflower and Garlic Rice

White rice has a much higher glycemic index (GI) than brown rice. GI is a measure of how fast a food raises your blood glucose levels, which is particularly important for anyone at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Healthy, but quick and easy…

Serves: Three
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 3-4 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese for topping

Method

Cook the rice according to usual package directions and set aside. In a large pot, bring vegetable broth and water to a boil. Add in cauliflower and cook for about ten minutes until tender. Transfer cauliflower pieces to a blender or food processor (but don’t drain the liquid) and add in the milk. Puree the contents until smooth, adding leftover vegetable broth as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Pour cauliflower mixture over the cooked rice, stirring to combine. Melt butter in a large frypan. Sauté garlic over low heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add your rice mixture to the pan and stir through the garlic butter. Stir in cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!