Table For Five

Beef mince is one of most commonly used forms of red meat amongst Australia's low budget families. At around $7 per kilo across major supermarkets it is the most affordable, versatile red meat with the added bonus of being easily bulked out with cheaper ingredients. Beef mince is also widely celebrated by vegie smugglers everywhere. Just how versatile is it? We asked our low budget community to tell us what they like to use it for. Our clever cooks came up with over 30 different ways to serve up beef mince. • Bolognese - this beef sauce has many variations including, but not limited to, Spaghetti, Lasagne, pastitsio, pasta bake. •Cottage/Shepherd's pie •Moussaka •Savoury mince •Curried mince or beef curry •Stuffed capsicum, tomato, potato, zucchini boats •Jaffles/toasties •Meatballs (many variations to choose from with different sauces to choose from too) •Hamburger patties •Kofta •Sang choi bao (San choy bow) •Taco...

What do you get when you mix grated or mashed vegetables with batter? Fritters, pancakes or hashbrowns are the most common names for them and they'll give you a whole new way to use up those bits and pieces in your fridge that might otherwise go to waste. Note that preparation time states 10 mins. This is based on using a food processor to grate the vegetables. Hand grating will take longer but just think of the workout those arm muscles will get. Chorizo & Potato Fritters By Mel Roworth Crispy, vegetable hashbrowns. Ingredients - 4 potatoes - 1 large zucchini (2 regular sized) - 1 ½ carrots - ½ red onion - 1 cup plain flour - 1 egg - ½ tsp salt - 1 partially cooked chorizo - Oil to fry. Method Grate potato, zucchini, carrot and onion and squeeze out excess liquid. Mix in flour, salt and egg until well incorporated. Stir in diced chorizo and form mixture into 8 patties. Heat fry pan, on high, with enough oil to cover the base. Gent...

Both beef and vegetables in this recipe can be cooked on the barbecue and making the couscous could hardly be called cooking. It's a perfect meal for outdoor and indoor cooks. I have to admit: by the time winter draws to close I am over this whole cooking thing. It's hot meals every single night. It's puddings, it's stodge and it’s endless hours in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to eat, I am not over that at all. When it's cold outside that comfort food is a welcome ending to the day and so worth the effort but, when the sun is shining on fresh green shoots and vibrant colours, our kitchen window is not the best vantage point to enjoy Springtime. Our barbecue on the other hand….. We may live in a crappy old house but this view, even on a cloudy day, will never get old. I don't use the “H” word very often but surely I’ve nailed it with this one?! High in iron, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, zinc….. th...

A truely authentic fried Rice this is not. Fast, simple and versatile is what it is . The measurements in this recipe are not terribly important. The amount of oil to rice is really the only detail that needs attention. There should be just enough to coat the rice and give it a nice glossy shine. Too much and the dish will be greasy. Too little and the rice will stick to itself and the pan. All other ingredients are not only flexible in quantity but can also be substituted or simply omitted.  Keeps well, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Fried Rice --- Ingredients --- 1 ½ cups uncooked rice (Or 2 ½ - 3 cups cooked rice) 1 egg, lightly beaten ¼ cup cooking oil ¼ teaspoon salt * optional (Or 1 Tablespoon soy sauce) 1 red onion or spring onions -diced 200g Ham -diced 1 ½ cups frozen peas and corn (drained if canned) --- Method --- • To cook the rice: Place rice in a medium saucepan with  2 ½  cups cold water. Bring to the bo...

Apparently zucchini is the most common choice when it comes to hidden vegetables. Veggie smugglers seem fixated with grating it into everything. I had started to wonder if my dear friend Zucchini had super powers with all the attention it receives. But alas, a mere vegetable is he (although technically a fruit) with a noted talent for blending in with the crowd. Even without any awesome special powers, I can't help but feel sorry for poor invisible Zucchini. Always hiding in the shadows. Never basking in the glow of centre stage. This one is for you, Zucchini. Today you are the star! Aglio ed Olio Zucchini (Garlic & Oil Zucchini) Serves 1-2 --- Ingredients --- 1 Zucchini ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil 2 cloves Garlic --- Method --- •Slice zucchini about ½cm thickness lengthwise. Toss slices in oil to coat. •Peel garlic cloves and give each one a good bash with the flat side of your knife. Rub garlic on each zucchini slice. •Heat a frypan, grill...

A while ago I was challenged to come up with some canned/packaged goods recipes. A big reason why struggling families might rely on canned and packaged foods is that donations need to have a reasonable shelf life. To be honest, I didn't expect this challenge to be as difficult as it is and I certainly have a new respect for those who, for whatever reason, rely on long life products as their main food source.

When I published the third edition of   2 Weeks of Dinners for Five I did not imagine that it or the baked risotto would raise so much interest. I’d like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in this recipe and apologise for delay in getting it out to you. I hope your patience will be rewarded with what I believe is a pretty darn tasty meal. As the name implies, it’s baked. If, like me, you find it difficult to tend to the stove top for a full half hour with no interruptions this recipe may be the answer you’re looking for. The best part: it's adaptable. Add peas and corn, grated zucchini, swap out chorizo for ham/chicken etc. As long as whatever you add won't absorb the liquid you're good. You will need a 4ltre (minimum) dutch oven/casserole dish OR a large fry pan and 4ltre capacity baking dish with lid . * I usually pre-bake the sweet potato up to two days before hand whilst the oven in already in use for something else (waste not want not 😉) 6-8...

***Based on my husband'' recipe, which is much nicer than mine.**" Lasagne bolognese is simple enough to make but it does take time. Don't worry, most of it is cooking time, it's just not a meal that you can whip up on a spur of the moment whim.

A hearty soup served with a side of crusty bread. It's the ultimate winter warmer. The addition of chorizo adds a depth of smokey, well spiced flavour which, coupled with the diced tomatoes, seems like a match made in heaven. Romantic jargon translation: It’s got a spicy sausage in it and it’s bloody delicious!

I have a whole collection of what I call “Blank Canvas Recipes”. These are recipes in their most basic form that can be changed up to create any number of variations. This is one such recipe. We’ve curried it, we’ve pepper steak and mushroomed it, we’ve hidden extra veggies, herbed, spiced and, on the odd occasion, made a real mess of it. What can I say? It happens. When you like to get experimental in the kitchen (we’re cooking here, stay with me) there's no guarantees you'll get it right first time, every time. But at least with a good base recipe, I'm always off to a good start. Why puff pastry on the bottom? That's just how I like it. If you prefer to use shortcrust, the method is still the same. Beef mince pie

Macaroni cheese is not high on my favourites list. Ok, it doesn't get anywhere near making my favourites list. The kids, however, seem to think quite highly of it. Why should I deny them such a simple pleasure? Homemade Macaroni Cheese Sauce *Enough sauce for up to 350g pasta

I should start by telling you, I know very little about traditional Slavic dishes. This recipe was in fact inspired by a Swedish meatball sauce I had found over a year ago. Unfortunately I lost the original recipe link but I have used a variation of it before in this Creamy Mushroom Pasta . You don't have to use canned mushrooms. I choose them for price and availability. Fresh mushrooms will need to be added a little earlier to soften, then about 1/4 cup of water added. Beef Stroganoff ---Ingredients -  5 medium potatoes 1 Tablespoon rice bran oil 2 teaspoons

Now I know this stir fry looks healthy. But have no fear, beneath it's chicken and vegetable exterior is the glorious sweetness of sugar. You know how much I love balance! Yes, yes. We all know how evil sugar is and how you should never, ever, EVER, consume it. Ummm, BOLLOCKS!!! Two more words: Balance and Moderation. It's not rocket science. It's physiology. Sweet Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles. Serves 4

If you really want your kids to eat their vegetables, give them something worth eating.

This super speedy, satisfying soup can be ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. If you’ve already made my super tender twice cooked Sticky Pork, you should have some of that beautiful strained broth in your freezer, perfect for this soup. If not, chicken stock is yummy too. Chicken and Corn Soup

It's Sticky, it's sweet and it's simple to make. Don't let the fact that this sticky pork recipe is twice cooked put you off, the effort from you is minimal and the result is delicious. It's also a great way to coax the kids into eating  their  veggies, that sweet sticky coating will be hard to resist. Feel free to use cheaper cuts of pork, because you're starting off with a slow cook, the meat will tenderise nicely.  Any vegetables can be added, my preferences are carrot, capsicum, beans, spring onion and broccoli but it always depends on what's on hand at the time. Sticky Ginger Pork Serves 4

I love a good massaman curry. Unfortunately, the recipe I’ve use in the past has 20 separate ingredients and is a bit fiddly and time consuming. Worth every minute, I can assure you of that, but when I’m wrestling my hyperactive snotballs beautiful children through that final stretch of the day, I struggle to keep track of complex recipes (even when I’m the one who wrote it) with all the commotion and constant interruptions. I miss cooking without a child swinging from my arm and another tipping ingredients all over the bench! Thankfully, I’ve found a solution. It's not the 5 star, gourmet dish I’d like it to be but it’s better than the take away Thai up the road and a whole lot cheaper. Notes: *My kids seem to enjoy a bit of spice but if you prefer a milder curry, use massaman curry paste instead with half the peanut butter. **Need NUT FREE? Peanuts can be substituted with cashews or left out altogether. Tahini or peanut butter substitute could be used. Simple Mas...

If you looking for a tasty sauce full of flavour and a bit of zing, you can't go past this delicious peanut sauce. Shared with me from my mother in law, this recipe has accompanied many dishes over the years including this month's most popular recipe on the blog, Thai BBQ Chicken

Thai was my first real cooking obsession and now it's back on the menu! These Thai BBQ chicken fillets were one of the first Thai recipes I ever succeeded in cooking and back then, I would cook these fillets under the kitchen grill, not the BBQ like I do now. Both

Loaded Potatoes are another one of those “whatever you want it to be” dishes. You take a whole potato, cook it til it's just soft, cut it in half and scoop out the middle. Load it up, put it back in the skin and you have potato magic.