Slow Simmered Spaghetti Bolognese

Serves 6 - 8

2 tsp olive oil
1 kg minced beef
1 brown onion, diced
3 small carrots, diced
270g jar roasted capsicum, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs dried Italian herbs
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 cup of beef stock
2 Tbs tomato paste
800g jar puréed tomatoes
2 400g cans crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs sugar
1 packet spaghetti
parmesan cheese, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced beef and the onion. Cook, stirring often to crumble the beef, for 4-5 minutes. Add the carrots, roasted capsicum, garlic, dried herbs, and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add the stock, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and the puréed tomatoes to the beef mixture as well as the sugar. Stir until well combined. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 3-4 hours.

Remove the pot from stove top. Skim the surface for any fat, then taste and re-season if needed. Cook the spaghetti per instructions, drain. Serve the sauce on top of the spaghetti then top with Parmesan if desired.

''German'' Hotdogs

Makes 3 Hotdogs

1 Tbs olive oil
150g bacon, chopped roughly
200g sauerkraut, drained
1 Tbs garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs mustard
1/4 cup beer
salt and pepper, to season
1 cup beer, extra
3 Polish sausages
3 hotdog buns

Saute bacon in oil until crispy. Add sauerkraut. Stir in garlic, mustard and 1/4 cup of beer. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Place remaining beer in a frypan, over medium heat. Bring liquid to a boil. Add sausages and fry for 10 minutes.

To serve, place sausages between each bun. Top each sausage with some of the smothered cabbage mixture.

Beef, Rosemary, Olive and Port Pasta

This is a pasta winner!

Serves 6-8

cooking spray
1 brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g bacon, chopped
1kg beef mince
2 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 cup port
2 teaspoons salt
1 teapsoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato paste
440g can diced tomatoes
150g Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
500g pasta of your choice
100g fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until onion has softened. Add bacon and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add beef and cook until beef has browned.

Add the rosemary and port. Increase heat to medium hight and cook until liquid has almost absorbed. Stir through salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Stir through diced tomatoes and reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of water to boil and cook pasta according to packet directions. Drain. Stir through olives and cook for 5 minutes to ensure they are heated through. Serve pasta topped with sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Beef and Blue Cheese Burgers

These burgers were great, however the patties were a little too lean and slightly overcooked. The addition of aioli would have been perfect!

Serves 4

4 bread rolls, sliced in half and buttered
500g lean beef mince
2 eggs
2 Tbs plain flour
2 handfuls rocket
4 Tbs tomato chutney
120g blue cheese

1. Combine mince, eggs and flour. Mould into four large burger patties. Cook to your liking.
2. Meanwhile, place rocket and chutney inside bread roll.
3. Five minutes before serving the burgers, crumble the cheese evenly over the four burgers, allowing to melt slightly.
4. Place burgers in buns, serve.

Chicken and Sweetcorn Cannelloni

The dill coupled with the sweetcorn was extremely appealing!

2 chicken breast fillets, poached and trimmed

olive oil cooking spray

1 leek, halved, washed, thinly sliced
150g baby spinach
250g reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 eggwhite
310g can sweetcorn kernels, drained
1 large bunch fresh dill, chopped
250g packet dried cannelloni pasta tubes
700g bottle Italian tomato pasta sauce
100g mozzarella cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
   
2. Heat frying pan over medium heat. Spray lightly with oil. Add leek and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute or until just wilted. Transfer to a bowl. Allow to cool.
   
3. Add chicken, ricotta, eggwhite, corn and dill to leek mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
   
4. Spoon mixture into cannelloni tubes. Place, in a single layer, in a 4cmdeep, 23cm x 30cm (base), lightly greased baking dish. Pour over pasta sauce. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for a further 20 to 30 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve.

Sweet Corn and Gruyere Cheese Risotto

This recipe was too easy and oh so delicious! Will definitely be making this one again.

We used shiitake mushrooms, but you could use any type of mushroom for this dish. It was also suggested that duck would go really well with this if you were to add a meat source.

5 cups chicken stock, warmed

300g can whole corn kernels

300g can creamed corn

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 brown onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups Arborio or other medium grain rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 cup chives, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pan; set aside.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add rice; sauté 3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned. Stir in 1 3/4 cup wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
3. Add stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next. Add creamed corn and mushroom mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons wine, cheese (leave some for garnish), chives, and black pepper.

Baked Seafood Casserole

Serves 6

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

700g marinara mix

1 onion, chopped

1 small red capsicum, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

150g mushrooms, sliced

3 spring onions, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Steam rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the marinara mix, onion, red capsicum, peas, mushrooms and spring onions.

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, milk, pepper and Worcestershire sauce; stir into the seafood mixture. Stir in rice.

Transfer to a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 190°C for 40-50 minutes or until bubbly.

Gouda and Spinach Risotto with Mushrooms *Instagram*

Perfection!

Risotto

1.5 litres chicken stock

1 tablespoon oil

1/3 cup chopped shallots

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups shredded Gouda cheese

150g baby spinach leaves

Mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups button mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup chopped shallots

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

rosemary sprigs (optional)

1. To prepare risotto, heat oil in a large nonstick pot over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup shallots; cover and cook 2 minutes. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, uncovered, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup wine; cook 30 seconds or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in Gouda; cook just until melted. Stir in spinach; cook just until spinach is wilted.
2. To prepare mushrooms, heat olive oil in a large nonstick frypan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add 1/3 cup shallots, 1/4 cup wine, thyme, rosemary, and minced garlic, and sauté for 1 minute or until wine is absorbed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Divide risotto evenly among bowls; top with mushroom mixture, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.





Yanghzou Fried Rice (Vegetarian)

Just add chopped chicken and prawns instead of peas for a meat alternative.

4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
150g dried sliced shiitake mushrooms, soaked and drained
6 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
2 tablespoon XO sauce
3 - 4 cups cooked long grain rice, chilled
2-3 tablespoon peanut oil
salt and pepper, to season

Heat wok. Add oil and garlic and stir fry for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, green onions and Shaoxing wine. Season with salt and pepper, and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add peas, and cook for another 30 seconds, add more oil if necessary.

Add the rice. Keep stirring until everything is well incorporated, then add the XO sauce. Season and serve.

Dan Dan Mien (Noodles)

I've cooked Dan Dan Noodles before, however I've used a slightly different recipe this time, as well as a very different and traditional method.

Serves 4

500g minced beef
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
5 spring onions, white and green parts chopped
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
salt to taste
noodles, 4 servings
1 handful dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Sauce:
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons chili oil (adjust according to your tolerance of spiciness)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 Tbs sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Transfer the noodles to a serving dish.

Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, sesame paste, vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, sugar, and Sichuan pepper. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss so the sauce is evenly distributed. Set aside.

Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the garlic, ginger, white parts of the scallions and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the meat and stir-fry until the meat is a little crispy on the outside and no longer pink. Add rice wine to deglaze the pan. Season with salt to taste.

Spoon the cooked meat mixture over the noodles, sprinkle the chopped scallions greens and chopped peanuts on top, and serve.