Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Laksa
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
6 square fried bean curd puffs.
1/2 cup peanut oil.
400 ml coconut milk.
1 tablespoon sugar.
800 ml chicken stock. Try our stock recipe.
500 grams yellow wheat noodles.
150 grams bean shoots, scalded.
1 chicken breast fillet, steamed and sliced.
150 grams small fresh prawns, steamed and peeled.
2 stalks lemongrass.
4 cloves garlic.
1 teaspoon turmeric.
1 tablespoon fresh grated galangal.
5 peanuts.
1 medium onion, chopped.
8 fresh long chillies, seeded.
1 tablespoon shrimp paste.
1 tablespoon fresh grated piece ginger.

Method
Soak the curd puffs in hot water for 5 minutes. Squeeze to remove excess, cut into triangle quarters.
Combine the lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, galangal, peanuts, onion, chili, shrimp paste and ginger in a blender, blend until smooth.
Add some of the oil to combine into a paste if needed.
Heat remaining oil in a wok over medium heat.
Fry the spice paste for at least 5 minutes, or until the highly fragrant.
Add the prawns and chicken, fry for 2 minutes.
Add coconut milk, sugar and stock and bring to the boil. Add puffs and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a seperate pan , boil the noodles for 2-3 minutes, add the shoots then remove and drain.

Serving
Split the noodles and shoots between bowls, top with meat and laksa liquid.
Top with fresh picked coriander leaves.

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Spicy Stew
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 120 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
500 grams gravy or similar cheap cuts of beef, cubed.
400 grams potatoes, peeled and large diced.
400 grams carrots, peeled and large diced.
400 grams swiss brown or button mushrooms, thickly sliced.
2 large brown onions, diced.
4 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
1 teaspoon ground cumin.
1 tablespoon ground coriander.
2 tablespoons smoked paprika.
2 tablespoons tomato paste.
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.
2 cups beef stock.
4 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper to season.

Method
In a large plastic bag, place the seasoned flour, add the beef and toss well to coat. Leave sitting in bag until ready to use.
Heat the oil in a non stick pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Shake excess flour from the beef and add it to the pan and brown all over, about 10 minutes.
Add the stock and all spices, stir well to combine.
Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.
Add the carrot, turn heat to lowest possible simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes.
Add the potato and cook for a further hour.

Serving
Season to taste before serving.
Serve over basmati rice with a side of papadums.

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Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 4
Prep time : 2 minutes
Cooking time : 12 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
500g elbow macaroni.
Olive oil spray.
80g butter.
80g plain flour.
1 litre milk.
2 teaspoons powdered mustard.
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Salt and pepper to taste.
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese.
1 cup grated tasty cheddar.
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (remove crust from 2 slices white bread and pulse into crumbs using a food processor).
Extra grated parmesan cheese to top.

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Lightly grease an 8 cup (2 litre) capacity oven proof dish.
Cook pasta to packet instructions, drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Stir in flour and mustard and cook for at least 2 minutes, without letting the flour burn.
Remove from the heat, add 1/4 of the milk and whisk into the flour mix until it is dissolved.
Add remaining milk, return pan to the heat and cook, whisking, until it begins to slightly thicken.
Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg and cheddar.
Once cheddar is dissolved, stir in the parmesan.
Test for seasoning only after parmesan is dissolved into the sauce, adjust if necessary.
Stir in drained pasta, mixing pasta into the sauce, then pour into the greased dish.
Top with fresh breadcrumbs and extra parmesan.
Bake until top is golden and crunchy, 10-15 minutes.

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Spring Vegetable Risotto
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock. Try our chicken stock recipe.
Olive oil.
1 brown onion, finely diced.
1 leek, finely chopped.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
2 cups arborio rice.
1 cup dry white wine.
Salt & freshly ground pepper.
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated.
2 tbsp butter.
1 small bunch spinach, well washed. Remove leaves and finely shred, finely dice the stems.
2 cups broad beans.
1 bunch asparagus, finely diced.
1 cup hot water, extra.

Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook broad beans for 5 minutes. Do not salt the water, this will toughen the beans.
Refresh in iced water, once cool enough to handle remove tough outer skins.
Finely chop the flesh.
Heat the oil in a non stick pan.
Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the remaining vegetables and the butter and sautee until butter has melted.
Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the grains become translucent.
Add the stock and wine, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for 10 minutes, then remove cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
For the last 5 minutes, cook while constantly stirring. If you believe the risotto is drying out too much, add the extra water but only by the tablespoon.
Rice should just offer resistance to your teeth when you bite it when it is cooked.
Remove from heat and stir through the parmigiano.
Test for and adjust seasoning.

Serving
Mound to bowls and serve with good crusty toasted bread.

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Lambs Fry and Crispy Bacon
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
6 rashers of bacon.
600 grams lamb liver.
600g lambs liver
1/2 cup plain flour
Oil for frying
2 eshallots, finely sliced
6 black peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons white vinegar
30 mL white wine
2 cups beef stock
50g butter
1/4 teaspooon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
Preheat an oven to 200C.
Place bacon on a tray and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes.
While bacon crisps, in a saucepan combine the eshallots, black peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, vinegar and beef stock and heat through.
Cook until reduced by half, strain and reserve liquid.
Sitr butter into sauce and season with salt and pepper, adding cayenne to taste.
Clean the liver of any excess membrane and sinew then slice into thin strips.
Heat oil over medium heat in a fry pan.
Dust liver in flour and fry for 1-2 minutes per side until cooked.
Set aside on absorbent paper to drain.

Serving
Excellent with wet polenta or mash potato.
Top with liver pieces, drizzle over sauce and finish with crispy bacon.

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Tasty Scrambled Eggs
Quantities are per serve
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 3-4 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 eggs, allowed to come up to room temperature.
1/8 cup shredded tasty cheese.
Pinch of salt.
Pinch of white pepper.
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives.
3 tablespoons milk.
15 grams of butter.

Method
In a bowl, crack the eggs and break the yolks with a fork, add the milk.
Gently whisk to combine yolks and whites without over whisking the eggs.
Fold in the cheese, chives and add seasoning to your taste.
In a non stick pan melt the butter over gentle heat.
Add the egg mix, then going around the rim of the pan, drag the setting eggs back in towards the middle of the pan.
Continue until the egg begins to form a mass that holds it’s shape.
Cook for no more than another 30 seconds from this point.
As soon as you see the eggs beginning to shed water, it is becoming overcooked.

Serving
A favourite on dry toast.
Other variations include spreading the toast with BBQ sauce or topping it with extra tasty shredded cheese allowing the eggs to melt into the cheese.

Notes
Eggs cooked using this method are not suitable for pregnant women.
It will take 1-2 tries at this dish to get it spot on.
Knowing just when the eggs are set is a learned skill, however over cooked scrambled eggs are awful rubbery yellow blobs when presented on a plate and learning how to cook them properly will give you many enjoyable breaksfasts.
We have many friends who were sworn haters of the scrambled egg until we introduced them to the correct way of coooking them.
This dish when cooked properly will have just set the eggs and will be smooth and creamy.

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“Chefs” Salad
Serves 4 as a side
Prep time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
250 grams ham, shredded.
250 grams cooked turkey breast, shredded.
200 grams vintage cheddar, crumbled or finely cubed.
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved.
1 lebanese cucumber, halved then thickly sliced.
2 baby cos lettuce, washed and torn into pieces.
1 cup egg mayonnaise, shop bought or try our tangy homestyle mayonnaise recipe.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
Combine mayonnaise and lemon juice in a jug and whisk to combine. Season to taste.
Combine remaining ingredients into a bowl, top with mayonnaise dressing and toss well to combine.

Serving
Best prepared and served immediately

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Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom and Pasta
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 12 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
250 grams dried pasta such as spirali, penne.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped.
250 grams chicken thigh fillet, diced.
200 grams Shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced.
1 cup thickened cream.
1/2 cup white wine.
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley.
Salt and black pepper to season.
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan, for serving.

Method
Cook pasta to packet instructions. Sauce will need about 12 minutes to cook, time pasta to be ready just ahead of the sauce.
Heat the oil in a large pan and sautee the onions for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
Add wine and cream and test for seasoning and adjust if needed.
Cook for a further 4 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
Add pasta to pan and toss pasta through the sauce.

Serving
Mound pasta into bowls and top with grated parmesan to taste.

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Sesame Cheese Balls
Makes about 48 bite size serves
Prep time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
750 grams softened cream cheese.
1/4 cup mango chutney.
1 small red chili, membrane and seeds removed and finely chopped.
3 spring onions, finely chopped.
3/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted.

Method
Place sesame seeds into a small bowl.
Combine cheese, chutney, chili and spring onions in a bowl and mix well to combine ( you could use a food processor if you don’t mind washing it).
Using a teaspoon, take 2 scoops of the mix and roll into a ball.
Roll balls into sesame seeds, place on a platter to serve.

Serving
Serve with rice crackers, lavosh or toasted pita bread chips.

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