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Jalapeno Meatballs

Half the fun of cooking is being able to experiment. I’m a great one for taking a recipe or a family dish and finding a way to change or improve it, which is what I did recently. One night I didn’t have chicken, so I decided to use the ground beef in the freezer and make meatballs but incorporate the basic idea of the original recipe. Mick declared it even better than the chicken and we had it again last night by his special request. So here for you is the recipe. Jalapeno Meatballs Ingredients 16 ounces ground beef Half … Continue reading →

Vegetable Chili

Chili is one of those foods which is excellent for boosting your metabolism, something which is very handy if you are trying to lose weight. It is also a warming food and good for autumn and winter nights. I made this the other night when the weather, which had been hot here, took a sudden dive in temperature. It was just the thing for a cool night. An added advantage is this dish is filling, plus if you make twice as much as you need then it can easily be reheated for a quick meal. For those on special diets … Continue reading →

Sick of Thinking About Food

I probably shouldn’t say this on the food blog, but sometimes I get sick of thinking about food. Mostly it is what we will eat for dinner that is the problem. Breakfast and lunch are usually much the same. Cereal with yoghurt and fruit, usually dried cranberries for breakfast and lunch is salad with some form of cold meat like corned silverside or roast lamb for lunch. But dinner, that’s another story. It’s often where I get stumped. Sometimes I am just so over thinking about what to cook. A frequent conversation in our house goes like this. ‘What do … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Sweet Curry

Given the cheap bulk rump we bought recently here’s another crock pot recipe using beef. However if rump is not cheap in your area you can use blade, skirt steak or gravy beef. Just allow another hour in cooking time. This is one of those recipes that I made up on the spur of the moment. It is so easy because nearly everything goes in at the beginning and that’s it except for the yoghurt which is added in the last half hour. You will notice too it contains light agave nectar. This is a natural sweetener than can be … Continue reading →

More About Gluten Free Flours

Rice flour is probably the most commonly used flour for the person on a gluten free diet. However, white rice flour is not particularly nutritious. So if you’re looking for a more nutritious alternative try brown rice flour, which as its name suggests is made from brown rice. I always use brown rice instead of white rice for meals, so it makes sense to use brown rice flour as well as it has higher fiber content because it includes the bran of the rice and hit has not been over processed. It is however heaver than white rice flour so … Continue reading →

A Cardinal Rule When Cooking

There’s a cardinal rule we should abide by when using a recipe given to us by someone else or from a magazine or cook book. That is to remember that not everyone’s taste buds are the same. This is especially important when dealing with dishes that have curry, chili or other hot, spicy ingredients. Yes, I am speaking from personal experience. Just recently I was cooking Korma Chicken using a packet of ingredients I bought on a shopping excursion. I should have realized Indian people have a higher tolerance than most Western people do but I had it in my … Continue reading →

Crock Pot Recipes that are Dairy and Gluten Free

I’m a big fan of lentils, kidney beans, black eyed beans and chick peas. They are a way of adding fiber to the diet without it causing too many complaints. Here are two more crock-pot recipes using these ingenious little fiber balls. I mostly use the tinned ones because it involves less preparation time. But you can use the packet lentils if you prefer. HINT When I use packets of black eyed beans, I cook more black beans that I need for this recipe and put them in the freezer for another time. You can do the same with lentils … Continue reading →

Beef Curry

Since it’s still cold weather over the other side of the world, I’ve been trawling through my crock pot recipes for favorites to share with you. Here is one for Beef Curry. HINT. You could use round steak in this recipe and reduce the cooking time but I prefer to use the cheaper cuts. Thought the cheaper cuts of meat like chuck steak and gravy beef will take longer to cook, they are also full of flour so worth it and you’ll be helping your budget as well. Beef Curry Ingredients 16 ounces of chuck steak, or gravy beef, cubed … Continue reading →

Dairy Free Main Meals For Crock Pot and Casserole.

Since I’m not a fussy and fiddly type of cook, I’m always on the lookout for healthy and tasty recipes that require little preparation time. Here are two really easy dishes to make, one with beef and one using bacon. One is for the crock pot or slow cooker. The other will go into a casserole dish. These recipes are both gluten free and dairy free. Beef Hot Pot Ingredients 16 ounces chuck steak or gravy beef, cubed 1 onion, diced 1 clove garlic, crushed I green bell pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 15 ounce tin kidney beans 1 … Continue reading →

More Easy and Affordable Snacks for Your Holiday Party

Ground beef is one of the most affordable meats in the market, which is why you don’t need to wait for it to go on sale before you buy. If you are entertaining for the holidays ground beef should be at the top of your shopping list. Not only is it a budget-saver, but it’s also extremely versatile as seen in the following simple yet delicious party dishes I like to make this time of year: GROUND BEEF STUFFED JALAPENO PEPPERS Ingredients: 8 ounces ground beef 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup drained canned diced … Continue reading →