Embracing the messy, mundane & momentous
I love the way the seasons change how we eat. It’s winter here in Australia and we are enjoying lots of soups and tagines. I think soup is the ultimate comfort food in the colder months. Served with some crusty bread, it’s perfect for lunch or dinner and it it’s an instant mood booster. This zucchini soup is one of our favourites, which is amazing as the kids are not too keen on green vegetables most of the time. Try this one. It’s a winner!…
Fresh tuna pasta
This is one of my favourite pasta recipes. It’s simple, fresh and tasty. PLUS all my kids eat it. They don’t even realise I put a few sneaky anchovies in it. If you’re not a fan, leave them out. The best thing about this recipe is the sauce same cooks in the same time it takes the pasta too cook. So dinner can be prepared, cooked and served in about 20 minutes. My kind of dinner! Put this on your weekly/fortnightly rotation….
One of my ‘go-to’ weekly meals is omething whipped up with eggs. Quiche, omelette and frittatas are all good, easy options. Now that Miss A is no longer allergic to eggs, I can happily use this versatile ingredient. Recently I made this Silverbeet & Feta frittata and it was a hit! The girls demolished it and I got to feel extra smug knowing the silver beet was home grown 🙂 I dedicated much time to my veggie patch recently, but thankfully this hearty green seems to grow without much assistance….
Mushroom Linguini
Everyone needs a quick and easy meal that can be whipped up mid week. It’s even better if you can include a few veggies in it, too. Look no further. The following recipe is guaranteed to please, possibly because it’s creamy and kids will eat anything drenched in cream. This is how I get my girls to eat vegetables and it’s delicious. If you want to make a healthier version of this recipe simply reduce the amount of cream you add, and increase the amount of stock. If I am not cooking this for the kids, I add a splash of wine after sautéing the mushrooms and reduce. You can also add a dash of grainy mustard for extra flavour….
Growing up in a family of seven meant that life was never dull. There were comings and goings and a constant stream of activities amongst five daughters. But we always came together for the evening meal.
Meal times were noisy; the dinner table was a place of spirited debate. Everyone was expected to contribute to conversation and differences of opinion were fostered. We were encouraged to think, to reflect and consider other points of view.
Dinners went on for hours and yet I don’t remember any of us ever complaining. We were expected to help set the table and serve dinner; participate in discussion at the table; and happily do the dishes afterwards. My dad always had seconds and he liked to take him time eating. Friends would often call but there was a strict “no interruptions” rule during dinnertime. They’d call back later – but we still hadn’t finished eating! They were incredulous….
Need a quick, easy and family friendly dinner? This roasted capsicum and asparagus tart is a winner. It’s light, tasty and simple to make and a great vegetarian option. You’re guaranteed to have most of these ingredients in your kitchen or you can easily substitute. It’s perfect all year round but particularly nice in the Australian summer. Serve warm with a salad and dinner is done….
This is such a delicious vegetarian meal and so simple to make. This recipe will make one big pie or 4 smaller pastries (which aren’t really that small). I sometimes double to recipe and make a big pie and several smaller pastries. Depending on how adventurous your kids are you can adapt the flavour accordingly. If I am doing this just for grown ups I use Harissa paste to give it an extra kick but it’s really tasty without. Give it a go. It’s a winner!…