Scrambled Eggs

26/05/2012 by Leave a Comment

Eggs of all shapes and recipes can be used to create a scrumptious dish your yourself, friends or kids.

Ingredients (serves 2)
4 eggs
1/4 cup pure cream
10g (tablespoon) butter
Buttered toast

Method
Better to use a non-stick frypan
Whisk eggs and cream together in a bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into pan. Using a wooden spoon, drag set egg towards centre of pan so remaining uncooked egg comes in contact with base. Cook for 2 minutes or until creamy curds start to form. Take pan off the heat.

Serve eggs on toast. Be careful not to overcook eggs, as they will continue to cook after being removed from pan.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Meals, Snacks

Kanteen

20/05/2012 by Leave a Comment

BREAKFAST BIKE RIDE

Park you car along Alexandra Ave (opposite Botanical Gardens) and take the Yarra river bicycle trail to KANTEEN, stay on the the southern side of the yarra, its an easy ride for all levels and only approx 2km from your car. Once you cross under Church street-Chapel street, you only have a couple of hundred meters to the cafe.

A great breakfast location on a Saturday or Sunday morning, located on the S bend of the Yarra river.  It used to be an old toilet block and now converted into a great cafe.

Where: 150 Alexandra Avenue, South Yarra, VIC 3141
Contact: 03 9827 0488
Website: http://www.kanteen.net
Open: Breakfast Monday to Saturday 7.00am to 3.00pm
Breakfast Sunday 8.00am to 3.00pm
Payment: Cash & Efptos
Diet: Vegan, Soy
Seating: Inside and outside
Kids: Welcome
Pets: Welcome
NOTE: A nice place but a little pricey, expect to pay approx $20 a head.

Filed Under: Activities, Dining Out, Meals, Melbourne

Spaghetti Bolognaise

18/05/2012 by Leave a Comment

Ingredients (serves 6 or great of a couple of nights)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
800g-1kg of diet mince
700g Leggo’s Sugo di pomodoro, premium cooking sauce
1 140g tub of Leggo’s tomato paste
1 400g can of diced tomatos
2 medium size carrots diced
1 onion diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed and diced finely
1 red pepper finely diced (optional)
2 Carrots grated
1 zucchini grated
6 button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
5 basil leaves finely chopped
250g green beans, topped, cut into 4cm lengths

Method
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until mince changes colour.

Drain fat from meat and transfer to a holding bowl.

Add onion and garlic to fry pan and cook until soft for 3 minutes

Add the mince, premium cooking sauce, tomato paste, tomatoes, basil, beans, carrot, red pepper and cook, stirring for 10 minutes or until vegetables soften. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Uncover and cook for a further 10 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Note: If bolognaise sauce is too thick add water as required.

Remove from heat and serve with spaghetti, penne or spaghetti shells.

Once cooled you can put a quantity in an air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Dinner, Meals

Crispy Potato Skins with Dip

04/04/2012 by Leave a Comment

You wont get any complaints serving these up.
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 large (about 1kg) sebago potatoes, scrubbed.
Olive oil spray,
1/2 cup (50g) grated cheddar
Mild tomato salsa, or a dip of your choice

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the potatoes on the shelf in the oven and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthways. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the soft potato flesh, leaving some flesh close to the skin. Cut each piece into 2 or 3 pieces length ways.

Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper. Place the potato skins on the baking tray and spray generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with cheddar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until skins are golden and crispy.

Set aside to cool slightly before handling

Serve with the salsa or dip.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Lunch, Meals, Parties, Snacks

Steamed Rice

03/04/2012 by Leave a Comment

I always wondered how the Chinese make their rice so good, light, not to dry, not to moist and without a rice cooker? Be low is how to make steamed rice.

Prep time
5 minutes

Cooking Time
20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 3)
1.5 cups long-grain white rice
2 cups water

Method
Place rice in a medium saucepan and then add the water. Cover with a tight fitting lid or foil and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, without lifting the lid, for 10-12 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes without lifting the lid. Stir the rice with a fork to separate the grains. Alternatively invest in a rice cooker! They are not expensive and produce the best rice in minutes, seriously the best way to cook rice.

Filed Under: Dinner, Meals, Vegetarian

Chicken Stir fry

03/04/2012 by Leave a Comment

Ok Dads, this is a bit of a favorite, everyone needs a good chicken stir fry in the recipe book. The kids will love this meal, as its a simple kids meal that gets eaten.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbs olive oil
500g chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
1 white onion, diced
6 celery stalks, trimmed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
250g green beans, topped, cut into 4cm lengths
1/4 cup of mushrooms (optional)
1/4 cup (40g) raw almonds
3 cups steamed rice, to serve

Method
Heat half the oil in a wok or large frypan over high heat. Stir-fry the chicken, in batches, for 1-2 minutes, until golden.

Add onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add celery and beans, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until just tender.

Return chicken and nuts to wok . Coat with a sesame and ginger sauce (kids love the taste) Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and coated in the sauce.

Serve with rice.

Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch

Chocolate Crackles

04/03/2012 by Leave a Comment

A Dads favourite and your child’s too!

Makes 20 small crackles

 

Ingredients
200g Mars bars, chopped
2 tbs thin cream
2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted
3 cups Rice Bubbles

Method
Place the Mars bars, thin cream and cocoa in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (Help you child and do this together), making sure bowl does not touch water. Stir until melted and smooth. Place Rice Bubbles in a large bowl, pour in Mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Pile mixture into paper cases and place in the fridge until firm.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Meals, Parties

Fruit kebabs

03/03/2012 by Leave a Comment

Hey dads, this is a fun way to serve up fruit for the kids, a dipping bowl of yoghurt on the side is also a favorite to have.

Ingredients
1 rockmelon, peeled
A bunch of grapes
1 or 2  punnets of strawberries
1 honeydew melon, peeled
1/2 pineapple, peeled
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1 orange, rind shredded, juiced
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways
1 punnet of strawberries

Method
Cut all fruit into 3cm cubes. Thread onto skewers. Place onto a plate. Cover and refrigerate until required.

Place sugar, water, orange rind and juice and vanilla bean into a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Transfer to a heat-proof jug. Refrigerate until cold.

To serve, arrange skewers on plates. Drizzle with syrup.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Snacks

Pancakes

03/03/2012 by Leave a Comment

Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
Milk
2 Banana’s (or any fruit you and your children like.
Maple Syrup

Method:
Sift flour and sugar into mixing bowl
Add egg and approx 1/4 cup of milk and stir
Continue to add milk until mixture is smooth (no lumps) and desired consistency is achieved.
Texture should be thick, smooth but pour easily

Heat frying pan, add a little butter (so mixture does not stick)
Cook until holes appear on top of the pancake, flip and cook on other side until golden brown.

Slice up banana and place over the top and between the layers of pancakes, dribble maple syrup over the top.

TIP: sometimes the first couple of pancakes don’t work out but once the pan has an even distribution of heat they will brown up nicely.

One of our facebook dads “Roger Blackwell” suggested to simply remove the sugar and make a thin mix.  Don’t mix hard just blend with whisk. Throw in a banana, brown sugar syrup, crushed nuts and yoghurt. Winner! Or sliced ham, melted cheese and relish over the top. kids love them

Filed Under: Breakfast