So I tried kangaroo meat...

So, along with this diet I am currently following, it was recommended I try kangaroo meat. I know, right? One half of our Coat of Arms! I'd never had the nerve to try it before, because, well, it's kangaroo. I'm a beef, chicken, lamb girl through and through, and the only types of pork I eat is ham and bacon. Let me tell before going into this - I'm not really a fan. Sure, the meat was cooked to perfection, the marinade was lovely, but the taste of the meat was a strange flavour that I don't think I want to try again.
If you however do like kangaroo meat, or want to give it a go, here's the recipe.


Kangaroo steaks with salad
Serves 2-4 (we were really hungry!)


Ingredients:
Pack of 4 kangaroo steaks (I got these from Woolworths)
1 lemon, halved
1 teaspoon or so crushed garlic (fresh or in the jar is fine, use to taste)
2 sprigs basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon, cardamom
1/2 teaspoon, cinnamon
Pepper to taste


For the salad, I bought a pack of 4 different small lettuces from woolies, 3 vine tomatoes cut in wedges, 2 cucumbers peeled and sliced, the juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon garlic (I think I need to cut back a little, yeah?) and pepper. You can make any salad you want though.


Directions:
Get out your grill press and get it nice and hot. Combine the juice of the lemon with the garlic, basil, and spices then add your steaks. The pack said to marinade for 20 minutes but I didn't have time for that so just let them sit until the grill was hot.  Lightly spray both plates of the grill with spray olive oil, then place your steaks on the hotplate and close. You want to cook them until they are lightly firm, if you cut them open, you want the meat red at this point. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes then serve with your choice of salad.


Pretty quick and easy, but I didn't care for the taste so will be going back to chicken tonight I think. Have a good one!

I'm on a diet. It doesn't mean that the food has to be bland!

I've taken up the challenge to lose a couple of kilos that I haven't been able to shift for the past 4 years. It's just started so be thinking of me while cooking up some deliciousness! The key that I am finding with cooking while being on a diet is a healthy mix of different herbs and spices and leaving the salt and sugar in the cupboard.
Here's what we had last night (and leftovers for lunch and possibly dinner tonight!)


Za'atar beef with zucchini and tomato, basil and cabbage salad.
Serves 4


Ingredients:
1 kilo diced beef
2 brown onions, diced
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (you can use either fresh or the crushed garlic in the jar, and you can use more to taste.)
2 cups za'atar mix (oregano, thyme, roast sesame seeds, marjoram, sumac)
2 zucchinis, sliced
1/2 purple cabbage, chopped
5 tomatoes, diced (I like vine tomatoes but you can use ordinary round ones)
1 tablespoon or so basil chopped roughly
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (fresh or jarred)


Directions!:
Using just a little spray extra virgin olive oil, lightly spray the base of your pan just enough that the onions won't stick on. Brown your onions, then add the beef and garlic. Cook until the beef has just started to brown then add your za'atar mix. Let that be for the moment while we make the salad.
In a bowl, add your tomato, basil and cabbage and mix thoroughly. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add the garlic and mix it again. I find that if you get your hands in there to mix, you'll get a more even coverage.
Coming back to the beef, add the zucchinis and mix around and let that cook until the zucchini has gone soft.
And you're done!

What's for Dinner tonight?

One dish I always come back to is grilled chicken with cabbage salad. It's quick and easy, and for the most part healthy. I learnt the cabbage salad from my mother-in-law, as well as using her method for the dressing, so the measurements for that are going to be off the top of my head based on how much I think I'm putting in.

So here goes...

Grilled Chicken with Cabbage salad

Serves however much you prepare for.

Ingredients:

Chicken schnitzel with no crumbs (I buy these from Bush's Meats, and I haven't seen it in Woolies or Franklins. Check your local butcher first, and support local businesses!)

Lemon juice (either fresh or bottled, although fresh is more fragrant)

Za'atar mix (I got a big bag about a year ago from my local grocers, but you can make your own with dried thyme, dried oregano, dried marjoram, toasted sesame seeds, salt and sumac. You may also find prepacked mix in Middle Eastern delis and small goods stores.)

Spray olive oil

Red or white cabbage

Cold pressed olive oil (or whatever olive oil you have - most is cold pressed anyway)

Apple cider vinegar

Salt

Directions:

In a bowl, place your chicken, then top with the lemon juice - you want a light covering. Pour in za'atar mix - you are using this kind of like breadcrumbs for making schnitzel, so you want an even and all over cover.

Get out your George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine, or similar (if you don't have one that's fine, feel free to fry up in a fry pan or use a griddle if you have one) and lightly spray olive oil over surface. You don't want too much, just enough to ensure the chicken doesn't stick.

Once the grill is hot, place your chicken on the hotplates, making sure there is no overlap. I have a very small grilling machine, so I usually do two at a time.

Cook chicken thoroughly until white in the centre.

If you are cooking in batches, it's handy to have a plate covered with aluminium foil to cover the chicken so it stays warm.

Now onto the salad! Finely slice the cabbage until you have your preferred amount. for a quarter cabbage, I usually put about a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar, and a half tablespoon of olive oil, with a teaspoon or so of salt to taste. This part is all on you! Whatever tastes good for you, then keep it there. You want to make sure you have an even balance of flavours - don't go overboard with the vinegar or the oil.

And you're done! See you tomorrow!

Welcome and pasta bake.

I don't know if anyone will ever read this, maybe this is all just for me.This blog is to document recipes and ideas that I have come up with, to provide for my family, and even sometimes on a shoestring budget.

Here goes recipe number1.

Pasta bake

Serves 6

Ingredients:

500g beef mince

2 brown onions, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (you can use precrushed garlic in a tube or jar - just a teaspoon)

small handful of fresh basil

small handful of fresh oregano

1 can crushed tomatoes (I used Ardmona, you should be able to get this from your local supermarket. It's an Australian manufactured product out of Victoria.)

1 tablespoon tomato paste (I think I used Ardmona as well, or it may have been Leggos.)

1 tablespoon cold pressed olive oil (this is what I used, but whatever olive oil you have on hand is fine.)

salt and pepper to taste

2 packs penne pasta (I used a gluten free corn and rice penne, but feel free to use whatever you want. I think the normal penne comes in a larger size pack, so you may only need one pack.)

1 pack Mozarella cheese (I used the home brand from Woolworths, but feel free to use what you want.)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 180°C and lightly grease your baking dish with a little bit of olive oil. In one large saucepan, you want to boil water and a teaspoon of salt for your pasta, then once it is brought to the boil, add your pasta. Make sure the saucepan is big enough to fit both packs of pasta. In another, get the pan hot then add your olive oil, followed by your onion.

You want to cook the onion until it is semi translucent, and starts to turn golden. Make sure you are stirring the onion, otherwise you might burn them or they might stick to the bottom of your pan.

Once the onion is cooked through, add the beef mince and garlic and cook until browned. Again, make sure you stir so that nothing gets burned or sticks.

Tear up the basil and oregano and stir into the beef, you want it to cook into the beef for about a minute or so.

Add your crushed tomatoes, stirring everything through, then add your tomato paste and again stir through for everything to be combined.

Hopefully by now your pasta is cooked. Drain and rinse through with cold water, then combine the pasta and the sauce, making sure all the pasta is coated and mixed through.

Pour your pasta and sauce mixture into your baking dish, and then smooth out the top so that it is all level.

Now it's time to add the cheese. I used Mozarella, but you can use Pizza Mix or tasty if you prefer. Spread the cheese over the pasta, created an even layer. You want the layer thick so that the cheese can melt down through the pasta. I didn't end up using a whole pack of cheese, so don't feel like you have to either.

Once you've got the cheese on, put the dish in the oven. You want to leave it there until the top of the cheese is golden brown and toasted. Depending on your oven, this can take between 10 and 20 minutes.

After it's done, feel free to serve it on its own or with a salad!