Sweet Vegetable Pancakes

Hello! Well, it's been a while since I've posted. Life got busy and my blog got forgotten for a while. Sorry blog! 

These days, I'm still cooking, but things are a little different. These days, I'm usually cooking for a discerning (OK, fussy) toddler! This is one of the recipes we enjoy.



Sweet Vegetable Pancakes

1 cup self-raising wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
1/2 a sachet of Macro Organic Sweet Vegetable purée 
1 egg (we prefer to use free-range)
1 tbsp maple syrup (the real stuff, not fake!)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp mixed spice

Add the flour, mixed spice and baking powder to a bowl and gently whisk together. Add the wet ingredients and gently stir to combine until smooth. 

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Cook pancake batter, about a tablespoon serving for each one, for about 1 to 2 minutes before flipping, and cooking for a further minute. Watch them closely as they are more prone to over-cook due to the sweet ingredients. 

Remove when golden and fluffy. Serve. We enjoy ours with a drizzle of maple syrup, honey or smear of chocolate spread. 

Lucky Star's Kitchen Reopened

Well, it took 6 months of work and stress and heartache, but my home is repaired and functional again. It's a great feeling to be home again and able to use my new and improved kitchen. As such, I thought its about time to start posting recipes again. :)

Quick update!

Just thought I'd share a quick update on the state of the kitchen. It is now in process of being torn our and remodeled. Turns out I wont get everything I want, because that would be too big a job for the time allotted by the builders, but it will be improved. But at least it's starting to look like our house again. Not just a black pit from hell!!

Lucky Star's Kitchen Temporarily Closed

Well, it's been about two months since my last post, nearly three, but there is a good reason. On April 23rd we came home to find we'd had a house fire. It was only small, but there was extensive smoke damage to the whole house, which meant we had to move into temporary accommodation while repairs and cleaning were undertaken. Sadly we lost one of my three kitties after he was trapped inside and was overcome by smoke. I think that's been the hardest part for me.

As of today the cleaning has been completed, the builders should go in next week, and in six to eight weeks we should be home. Our kitchen is going to be completely demolished and replaced, due to the damage of the toxic, corrosive smoke. New oven, sink, dishwasher, cupboards, everything! In one way it's a positive because it'll be a brand new kitchen. On the downside, we're homesick and just want it finished.

So for the moment, until I'm home in my own kitchen again, my posts will remain minimal. I may update with changes as the building works commence and the new kitchen comes to life, but there may not be many recipes. My rental house kitchen is a bit small and the oven is rubbish. Sorry to anyone who may have become a follower. I'll try to be back as soon as humanly possible, builders and insurance company hold ups allowing. : )

Homemade Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce

Tonight I really felt like Swedish meatballs. We used to enjoy the ones you can buy and reheat from IKEA, but when my food intolerances began we soon found we couldn't eat them any more.  The meatballs were fine, but the sauce mix they sell is loaded with MSG and flavour enhancers, which make my skin itch and gives me a pounding headache.  Very disappointing... That was until I discovered a recipe for Swedish meatballs on one of my favourite food blogs, Skinny Taste. So, so very happy and grateful to have found a homemade alternative! And the best part is, I think it tastes 100 times better than the IKEA version.  I couldn't eat their meatballs now, even if I didn't have food problems; their texture seems all wrong, like that used scopes of dog food (sorry IKEA!) and my sauce has so much more flavour going on.  I've tweaked the original recipe from Skinny Taste to suit our tastes and to the products I can use, but it's still very similar. You can use whatever you like, I've just used products that work for me.

My hubby and I like to serve this recipe with oven-cooked chips, but it's also delicious served with mashed potato or you could serve it with your favourite pasta.  Cranberry sauce, or the more authentic Swedish Lingonberry Sauce, is optional, but we find that the sweet fruitiness of the sauce is a nice contrast against the savoury meat and cream sauce. 

I think this would be a good family meal. You could totally serve the cream sauce over mashed potatoes, sweet potato, roasted pumpkin, peas and corn... whatever your family prefers. You could also sneak more minced/grated veggies into the meatballs to trick your pick eaters into eating something healthy. I'm thinking next time some finely grated carrot and zucchini would both bulk these babies out and make them even more nutritious.  Even without the extra veg, they're still pretty guilt free, with a serve of meatballs and sauce measuring up at around 323 calories per serve. 

Homemade Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce

Serves: 4 (approx 5-6 meatballs per person)

500g Coles 5 Star Beef Mince

1 cup homemade breadcrumbs or Panko

1 whole free-range egg

1 medium onion, minced

2 sticks celery, minced

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp allspice

1 - 1 1/2 Massel beef stock cube

1L warm water + 1/4 cup warm water

2 dessert spoons Philadelphia cream cheese spread, 80% fat free

2 dessert spoons cornflour

Start by putting your beef mince into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs (or Panko, your choice), egg, onion and celery, garlic and the allspice.  Time to get your hands dirty!  Roughly mix the ingredients together with your hands.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop up meatball mixture.  Split in half, so you have a 1/8 cup sized serve, and roll into a neat ball.  Arrange on a plate or cutting board as you go until all the meat mixture is rolled into balls.  The mixture should make about 18 - 22 balls. 

Raw meatballs bathe on hot beef stock...

In a large, high-sized frying pan, add your litre of water and stock cubes.  Stir gently to dissolve the stock and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low and gently add your raw meatballs, one at a time, being careful not to splash yourself.  It's easiest to start from the outside of the pan and work your way into the centre of the pan.  Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.  Don't touch the meatballs during the cooking time or they may break apart!

No longer raw, but cooked and tender. Set aside while you finish the sauce.

Remove the meatballs from the liquid with tongs and set aside in a covered bowl to keep warm. Keep the beefy liquid on the heat.  Add the Philadelphia cream cheese spread and whisk into the liquid.  Mix the cornflour with the 1/4 cup of warm water and add to the cheesy stock mixture, and whisk in.  Keep on a low heat, whisking as the sauce begins to thicken.  Remove immediately when it reaches your desired thickness, and serve over your meatballs and choice of side.

Thick creamy sauce, infused with the herbs and spices from the meatballs.

Load up your plate and enjoy!

Cream sauce smothering the oven chips.

Sweet cranberry sauce to go with my savoury, tender meatballs. Yum!

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

I was inspired to make this after reading a similar recipe on one of my favourite food blogs, Skinny Taste, a couple of weeks ago.  My hubby loved this, apart from the broccoli... he's not a big broccoli fan. But he was willing to forgive it's presence in his dinner this time after smelling the whole thing cooking.  He was near salivating, watching the timer count down!  

This recipe is filling, tasty and pretty healthy, being low in fat - I worked it out to be 344 calories per serve. I was not well organised today, so it was a juggling act to get everything cooked and ready to go together. But I'm sure you won't have that problem. I think this is a dish the whole family will love... even picky eaters because the veggies are hidden in the delicious sauce. It may seem weird to top with rice crispy cereal, but I love the extra crunchy texture this gives the dish!

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil

400g chicken tenderloin or breast

4 cups of cooked pasta, such as penne or rigatoni

1 cup raw broccoli, chopped

2 tbsp light olive oil spread

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup frozen chopped onion

1 cup low fat milk

2 cups hot water

1 Massel chicken stock cube

30g shredded parmesan

1/2 cup shredded pizza cheese (tasty, parmesan, mozzarella blend)

1/2 tsp ground sea salt

1/2 ground black pepper

1/4 cup rice crispy cereal, crushed 

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan-forced) To start off cooking, boil your pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside in a bowl. 

Cut your broccoli into small bite-size pieces, including the stalks.  Boil in unsalted water until just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop it cooking further, and set aside with the pasta. 

Brown chicken tenders or sliced chicken breast in a little olive oil over a medium heat.  Just until browned on the outside.  The chicken will finish cooking later in the dish.  If you're using chicken tenders, you can break them up into bite-sized pieces using a couple of forks at this point. Set aside.

Next, using the same large saucepan you used to cook your pasta and the chicken, melt the olive oil spread over medium low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of the salt, and sweat the onion until it starts to become transparent. Add the thyme and garlic and stir through.  Heat for a further minute or so.  

Take the pan off the heat and add the plain flour.  Stir this through the melted olive oil spread to start making a roux.  It should become a clumpy, gluey dough-like mixture. Return to low heat, stirring for a minute or so to cook out the floury taste. Add milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, and whisk together to prevent lumps.  You should end up with a thick white sauce.  Crumble in the chicken stock cube and stir, then add 2 cups of hot water, one at a time, whisking in between to prevent lumps.  You should end up with a thinner very chickeny flavoured white sauce.  Add the parmesan and about half of the pizza cheese, and stir to help it mix through as it melts into the sauce. My hubby got very excited at this point!

Now we begin to assemble to dish... Add the pasta and broccoli to the white sauce mixture.  Stir, then add the chicken and mix it through gently.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then pour into a baking dish. Top with crushed rice crispies and the remaining pizza cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the top has gone golden. Serve and enjoy!

The finished dish

Full of juicy chicken and broccoli...

...and rigatoni smothered in a creamy cheesy-chicken sauce.

Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders with Chinese Five-Spice Barbeque Sauce

My husband LOVES chicken. The truth is, if he could, he would eat it every day, every meal, until he grew feathers and a beak. Wanting to try something a bit different tonight from the usual crumbed chicken, I went hunting on the internet and found this recipe. The smell of the tenders cooking is wonderful, warm and almost nutty from the spices and sesame seeds.  The five-spice powder smells just like a health food market my mother used to shop at when I was little. Warm and comforting. Combined with the barbeque sauce, the flavours are sweet, subtly spicy, a little sour and salty. The kind of thing one expects from most Asian-style cooking. 

Oven-Fried Chicken Tenderloins with Chinese Five-Spice Barbeque Sauce

Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders

3/4 cup Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 large egg

1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 tsp salt

400g chicken tenderloins

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan-forced).  In a large saucepan, toast Panko and sesame seeds over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden, stirring frequently to ensure even heating. Transfer to a plate or bowl.

In a medium bowl, with a wire whisk or fork, mix egg, five-spice powder and salt until foamy.

Dip the tenderloins in the egg mixture, then in the crumb mixture to coat. Place the tenderloins on a baking tray and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they've lost all pink colouring throughout. Do not turn over while cooking. 

Crispy, golden crumbed tenderloins...

Chinese Five-Spice Barbeque Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 1/2 gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

While the tenders cook, in the same saucepan used to toast the Panko and sesame seeds, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned. You can add a pinch of salt to stop the onion browning too much.  Remove from heat; stir in tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and five-spice powder.  Return to a low heat to warm the sauce through.  Pour sauce into a small bowl and serve with the cooked tenderloins. 

Barbeque sauce... sweet, spicy saucy goodness!

And this is the finished product!

Together at last, golden crumbed chicken tenders with delicious barbeque sauce.

Serve with a nice salad on the side, or if you're feeling a little more decadent, serve with oven-bake chips, and dip away at that warm barbeque sauce. 

A twist on this recipe would be to use chicken breast sliced into "fingers" and serve as finger food at your next party.