Mexi Balls

Ingredients:

500 g lean beef mince

½ onion, finely diced

1 cup shortgrain rice

1 packet mild taco seasoning mix

150 mL can light evaporated milk

690 g can condensed tomato soup

3 cups water

2 beef stock cubes

Makes approximately 20 meatballs

Serves 6

Method:

Combine the mince, onion, rice, taco seasoning and evaporated milk together in a large bowl.

Form into small meatballs and set aside.

Place soup, water and stock cubes in a large, wide-based saucepan.

Stir well and slowly bring to the boil.

Drop in the meatballs, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, gently shaking or stirring occasionally to prevent meatballs sticking to pan base.

Serve 2-3 meatballs and sauce on a plate with crusty bread and steamed seasonal vegetables.

Tips:

This meal could be baked in a large casserole or roasting pan. Use a moderate oven (180 C) for 30-45 minutes.

Have ready to quickly reheat for times when you're late home.

These meatballs are great squashed onto bread for a quick snack.

Nutrition information per serve:

Energy 1120 kJ

Protein 23 g

Fat 4 g

Carbohydrate 35 g

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Sweet Lamb Curry

Ingredients:

500 g cubed lamb or beef

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, sliced

2 sticks celery, sliced

1 large cooking apple, diced

2 heaped tablespoons plain flour

1 heaped tablespoon curry powder

420 g can tomato soup concentrate

1 heaped tablespoon golden syrup juice of ½ lemon (2 tablespoons)

1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar seasoning to taste

Serves 6

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 C.

Mix meat, onion, carrot, celery, and apple with flour and curry powder.

Add tomato soup, golden syrup, lemon juice, sugar and seasoning.

Stir all ingredients together well and cook covered in a 2-3 litre casserole dish in a slow oven for a minimum of 40 minutes until the meat is tender and the juices are thickened.

Tips:

Leave out the curry powder, add extra vegetables and call this dish a stew.

Serve with mashed potato, steamed rice or damper and seasonal greens.

Nutrition information per serve:

Energy 1020 kJ

Protein 21 g

Fat 4 g

Carbohydrate 31 g

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Winter Casserole

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

250 g lean bacon rashers, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 brown onion, coarsely chopped

800 g beef topside, cut into about

3 cm cubes

2 tablespoons seasoned flour

420 g can vegetable beef soup

415 g can chopped or crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

3 tablespoons barbeque sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

250 g button mushrooms, cut into half

Serves 8

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy based heatproof saucepan or casserole dish. Fry bacon, garlic and onion, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes or until onion softens. Remove to a small bowl, using a slotted spoon.

Toss the beef and seasoned flour together in a plastic bag until well coated. Reheat oil and brown beef in batches.

Return bacon mixture and beef. Stir in soup, tomatoes, water and sauces until combined.

Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the mushrooms.

Cover and continue to simmer or bake in a slow oven (160 C) for a further 40 minutes or until beef is tender.

Serve with mashed parsley potato, cooked pasta, steamed rice or fresh home baked bread (if you have a bread maker!) and seasonal vegetables.

Tips:

I often leave this meal to simmer in a slow oven or crock pot while collecting the kids from sport.

It is also a great meal to have ready for reheating after busy carnival days.

A can of crunchy cut vegetables can be added at the last minute. They only need to heat through as they are already cooked.

Nutrition information per serve:

Energy 1130 kJ

Protein 31 g

Fat 8 g

Carbohydrate 20 g

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Logan’s Lasagne

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

800 g lean beef, chicken or pork mince

3 cloves garlic, crushed

810 g or 2, 425 g cans crushed tomatoes with herbs

2 tablespoons tomato paste

300 g packet frozen spinach, thawed

500 g tub low fat cottage cheese

375 g packet fresh lasagne sheets

680 g can condensed tomato soup

250 g (2 cups) reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Serves 10

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan. Brown mince and garlic well. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste.

Simmer for 15 minutes to cook the mince thoroughly.

Put the thawed spinach into a strainer, squeeze out all the liquid then mix lightly with the cottage cheese.

Using a large lasagne dish, spread a thin layer of the mince mixture over the base. Follow with a sheet of lasagne, more mince, another layer of lasagne, the cottage cheese mixture, more lasagne, remaining mince and a final sheet of lasagne.

Pour over tomato soup to cover lasagne completely.

Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

Remove and allow to stand for five minutes before serving.

Best accompanied with fresh bread rolls and salad.

Tips:

I always make this large quantity as the pasta just fits my dish measuring 30 cm x 25 cm. The leftovers are always popular!

Otherwise, make into two smaller foil dishes and freeze one for a busy time.

This is the quickest and easiest lasagne to make and always a hit with the kids! Limited washing up is a bonus.

Nutrition information per serve:

Energy 1660 kJ

Protein 40 g

Fat 10 g

Carbohydrate 38 g

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Easy Chicken and Pasta

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

500 g chicken breast fillets, cut into thin strips

420 g can condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 cups water

½ teaspoon dried basil

500 g packet mixed frozen vegetables

2 cups dried pasta spirals, uncooked

1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated

Serves 6

Method:

Heat oil in a deep large frying pan over medium heat.

Add the sliced chicken and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add soup, water, basil and uncooked pasta to the pan.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until pasta is just tender.

Stir in the cooked chicken, frozen vegetables and grated cheese. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are hot and tender.

Tips:

This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time and have ready for a quick reheat.

Serve with crusty bread and a green salad or a fresh fruit platter.

A mix of fresh vegetables can be used but I find the frozen vegetables quick and easy when time is short.

Serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra flavour.

Nutrition information per serve:

Energy 1373 kJ

Protein 29 g

Fat 7 g

Carbohydrate 37 g

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Potato Fritters

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes, well washed and coarsely grated

250 g lean ham, cut into thin strips

420 g can creamed corn

4 spring onions or 1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 medium carrots, coarsely grated

100 g (3/4 cup) reduced fat, grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

2 cups self raising flour

½ cup reduced fat milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper or curry powder to taste

Makes 16 large fritters

Method:

Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir together until combined. The mixture will be quite stiff in texture.

Season with some salt, pepper or curry powder.

Heat a large heavy based frying pan, lightly cover base with olive oil spray.

Add a large tablespoons of mixture to the pan, cook over medium heat, pressing down each fritter with the back of a spatula until golden brown and cooked through. Turn over and brown other side.

Keep warm in a low oven at 100 C until all are cooked if you can stop them being eaten!

Serve with any salsa or sauce of your choice.

Tips:

I serve these for an easy meal or snack, or whenever there are hungry kids to feed.

I replace the ham with small cubes of cold corned beef if there is any leftover in the fridge or you could use canned ham.

Great when washed down with a glass of milk or juice.

Nutrition information per fritter:

Energy 625 kJ

Protein 9 g

Fat 3 g

Carbohydrate 21 g

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Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

1 packet of 6 tortillas

½ cooked roast chicken

420 g can Mexican chilli beans

6 cos or iceberg lettuce leaves

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced

200 mL tub extra light sour cream or tzatziki dip

Makes 6

Method:

Cut chicken flesh into strips. Place in a bowl and keep warm.

Arrange prepared salad vegetables on a platter.

Tip chilli beans into a bowl and microwave until just warm.

Heat the tortillas either in the microwave or wrapped in foil in the oven.

Prepare each tortilla starting with a lettuce leaf, topping with chicken, tomato, cucumber, beans and sour cream or dip.

Wrap the tortilla around the filling and enjoy while warm.

Tips:

Use leftover Mince in Minutes – ( see page 23) as an alternative filling.

A can of Baked Beans could be used for those who don't like the spicy flavour of chilli.

Kids love to make these themselves.

Always serve on a plate as they tend to be “messy”.

Nutrition information per wrap:

Energy 1520 kJ

Protein 20 g

Fat 10 g

Carbohydrate 46 g

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