Pasta a la Greg

Sorry my ingredients are a bit wishy washy - I just grab "enough".  Serves 6 or more.

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small zucchini - cut lengthways, then slice
• 1 capsicum sliced - prefer red, green will do
• 1/2 a bag mushrooms - sliced
• 700g mince
• 700ml jar passata - I use Cirio which is low-sodium and cheap near me
• tablespoon minced garlic
• "mixed herbs" - I use the Hoyts mixed herbs - could just be oregano if you're short.  Probably around a teaspoon to a tablespoon - I just shake it until I'm happy
• red wine - around a glass
• some olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat frying pan to be fairly high.  Drop a little bit of oil on it and fry the zucchini and capsicum.  You want to keep the heat high, you're looking to just char them a little.  Take the veges from the pan and set aside.
2. Add a little more oil and drop the mushrooms on.  Drop the temperature to low after a minute or so.  Fry until they shrink a bit and some moisture comes out - eg almost cooked.  Set the mushrooms aside (I normally just drop them on the zucchini and capsicum and cover it with a lid).
3. Bring the pan back up to high temperature - drop the mince on the pan and sear it on both sides, then break it up and lower the temperature.  Stir the mince until its no longer red.
4. Drop the garlic and mixed herbs onto the mince and stir to mix - bring up the temperature to high.
5. Add the red-wine, mix it around under high-heat.  Wine should be boiling.  Add the passata and stir fast it until the mix starts to bubble.  Drop the temperature at that point.
6. Simmer.  Add the veges back and mix well.  If you like less well done veges add them later during the simmering.  Total simmering time should be at least 10 minutes.  I usually put the pasta on when the passata sauce mix starts bubbling, so the sauce is done when the pasta is ready (or the other way round ;-)

Chicken Balls with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken Balls

• 2 quantities of Chicken Bites   
• 2 tbsps olive oil

Tomato Sauce

• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 cans no added salt tomatoes
• 140g no added salt tomato paste
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine

Directions:

1. Follow steps 1 to 3 of Chicken Bites
2. Form mince mixture into balls, about 1 tbsp each
3. Heat oil in a fry pan and brown chicken balls all over.  Drain on kitchen paper.
4. Add onion and garlic to fry pan and sauté until onion is softened.
5. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper, sugar and wine.  Bring to the boil.  Add chicken balls and simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Serve chicken balls and sauce over pasta.

Slow Cooker Lamb with Potato and Barley

Ingredients:

• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 50g unsalted butter
• 600g boned lamb shoulder, diced in large chunks
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 large brown onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped in large chunks
• 2 leeks, cut into 3cm rounds
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 large sprigs rosemary
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped in large chunks
• 140g pearl barley
• 4 tsps low sodium vegetable stock (I use Salt Skip Vegetable Stock)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and half the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown half the meat and season with pepper. Add to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining meat.
2. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook until softened.
3. Add remaining butter, carrot, leeks and herbs.  Stir and cook for 3 minutes, then add potatoes and barley and stir through.
4. Add stock and cover with water.  Stir through, bring to the boil, then add to slow cooker.
5. Cover and cook on HIGH for up to 4-6 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.

Chicken Bites

Ingredients:

• 300g chicken breast 
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 zucchini
• 100g low sodium cheese (I use Nimbin Natural Cheese)
• 1 tbsp cornflour

Directions:

1. In a food processor, process chicken until smooth.
2. Add carrot and zucchini and process until combined.
3. Add cheese and cornflour and mix well.
4. Roll into balls, each about 1 tbsp.  Place on tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through.

Low Sodium Pizza Dough

This recipe is derived from here, http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/BasicPizzaDough.htm, but I've made some conversions and alterations to it as I go along.

Ingredients:

• 375ml water
• 50g honey
• 30g olive oil
• 650g flour
• 1 tspn (3g) garlic powder
• 8g yeast

Directions:

1. Put the ingredients in the bread maker in the order shown - run it on dough setting
2. Optionally refrigerate the dough, wrapped in plastic
3. Heat oven to 200°C
4. Turn out the dough onto a floured workspace. Work it out into three roughly round bases. I find the dough is fairly elastic and that can make it difficult to get a smooth circular bases.  If in doubt err on the side of thinner bases, they will rise during the initial bake.
5. Use a fork to lightly prick the top surface of the dough.
6. Bake in the oven on metal oven tray until just lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven and top as desired, return to the oven to cook the toppings and melt the cheese.

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 600 ml milk
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pepper 

Directions:

1. Melt butter and stir in flour
2. Continue stirring and gradually pour in milk
3. Season with nutmeg and pepper
4. Continue stirring until sauce has boiled and is smooth and thick

Beef and carrot ragout

This recipe is from Taste.com.au.  My 3 year old LOVED this, so it will now be a regular recipe of ours.


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1kg gravy beef, cut into 5cm cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large brown onions, cut into wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup low sodium tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup Salt Skip Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 3 large carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
• cooked pappardelle pasta, to serve

Directions:

1. Place flour in a snap-lock bag. Season with pepper. Add beef and shake bag to lightly coat beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Spoon into slow cooker. Repeat with oil and remaining beef.
   
2. Reduce frying pan heat to medium. Add remaining oil and onion to pan. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in wine. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until wine has reduced by half. Add stock, thyme and carrots. Bring to the boil. Spoon sauce over beef and stir to combine.
   
3. Cover and cook on HIGH for up to 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Season with pepper. Spoon over pasta and serve.