Warm Brown Rice Salad

Cook brown rice in rice cooker.

Fry up: cacciatore salami (like a sausage) diced, red capsicum, sweet yellow pepper, mushrooms, eggplant (grilled in grill), red onion. Squirt of lemon juice + parsley to serve.

Result: 4.5 - very satisfying

Preparation: very quick, just make sure rice is on 1 hr 40 in advance.

Spaghetti with avocado and chicken

(recipe from Il Gambero) - "Spaghetti Gambero"

Onion, diced chicken, garlic, spring onion, pesto (or basil), avocado, passata + sour cream. Serve with spaghetti.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: takes about as long as it takes to boil the pasta

Lamb Roast

Lamb roast approx 1kg. Poke in garlic and rosemary. Rub with olive oil. Boil potato, sweet potato, carrot for about 20 mins. Put all in oven dish. Bake at about 220 degrees (on fan) for 15 mins then on fan grill for another 35 mins at 180. Use the meat probe in the oven (or follow the instructions in the oven book for about 1 hr on fan grill 170, from cold). Turn every 15 mins or so. Meat probe to 70 degrees. Make gravy with cinzano in juices and chicken stock, passata, salt, pepper and worstershire sauce, thickened with flour. Try not to eat too much ...

Result: 5

Preparation: easy

Spag bol with Polenta

Spag bol sauce, leftover from another day. Polenta (pref 3 min variety), cooked then cooled and fried in pieces. Serve with parmesan.

Result: 3

Preparation: quick and easy especially with 3 min polenta

Baked Fish in Coconut and Thai Spices

Fish - e.g. Ocean Trout

Curry sauce: red curry paste, red onion minced, garlic, ginger, coriander (incl roots + stems), fish sauce, kecap manis, fresh kaffir lime leaf. Rub sauce over fish in baking dish, leave for 1/2 hour. Pour over half tin coconut milk. Bake at 180, 30 mins.

Result: 4 (but fussy to eat)

Preparation: really easy, need fresh fish.

Spag Bol with Veges

Minced beef, onion, capsicum, eggplant, carrot, zucchini, sweet potato, all diced. Fry up and add tinned tomatoes, passata, chicken stock, sugar, salt & pepper. Serve with pasta and parmesan.

Result: 3.5 (not very exciting but very filling)

Preparation: easy, especially if veges chopped beforehand. Sauce needs to cook for a bit.

Basil Tofu

Tofu cubes, lightly fried, onion, spring onion, carrot, broccoli, capsicum, fresh coriander, fresh basil, stir fried. Sauce with sweet chilli, soy, oyster and lime juice. Thicken with cornflour. Serve with rice or rice noodles.

Result: 3

Preparation: quick - all done in under half an hour, as long as rice is turned on beforehand, or noodles are done.

Nachos

Corn chips, cheese, beef + bean sauce (without tinned tomatoes), guacamole, sour cream, salsa of tomato, spring onion, lime juice and coriander. Melt cheese in oven then top with meat, then guacamole, salsa and sour cream in stripes.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: dead easy

Quick Chicken Soup

Start with leftover chicken stock from white-cooked chicken. Add cubes of potato, chopped capsicum, spring onion, mushrooms and leftover cooked chicken. Add soy, sesame oil, fresh coriander and star anise.

Result: 4

Preparation: extremely quick

Birthday Lunch for 20

Nibbles:
Dips & flat bread
Vine leaves (in tin - Royal Fields brand)
Olives

Mains:
Pastizzi (frozen, a bit unsuccessful because stuck together)
Pizza - bases from Aroma, with eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, red onion, mushroom, olives, salami, ham, mozarella, parmesan, feta. Need to be sure they are really well cooked.
Chicken drumsticks - Marrakesh style roast chicken from Middle Eastern book - mostly fresh coriander paste, served with yoghurt & mint sauce (YUM YUM).
Potato salad
Roast pumpkin, capsicum, rosemary, feta, spinach, rocket & pine nut salad (YUM YUM)
Curried eggs
Breadsticks

Desserts:
Pavlova
Ravani (orange syrup cake)
Baklava from Abla's
Chocolate slice
Strawberries

Quick lamb tagine

Diced lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon. Lightly fry onion, garlic, lamb, in red saucepan, add spices, chicken stock cubes, little bit of water, then carrot, capsicum (red & green). Put lid on, cook for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with yoghurt, chopped coriander and cous cous.

Result: 3.5

Preparation: really easy, and reheats well in saucepan next day.

Pork with Leeks

Recipe from Greek cooking course.

Cook pork in simmering water in frypan until water all evaporated. Add chopped & washed leek, olive oil and oregano. Cook (stir-fry) until leek is very soft. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice before serving. Serve with rice and corn (and anything else).

Result: 3.5 - very tasty.

Preparation: really easy, but leek needs to be stirred.

Chinese-style Rainbow Trout

1 rainbow trout (about $6)

Julienned carrots in oven tray, lie fish on top. Top fish with ginger, spring onion, crushed garlic, coriander. Pour over light soy, tiny bit of dark soy, sesame oil, dry sherry. Bake for 30 mins at 180, no fan. Tight fitting alfoil on fish. Serve with veges and rice.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: really really easy.

Meatballs and Veg

Make meatballs: mince, breadcrumbs, egg, tomato sauce, rosemary, smoked tabasco. Put in fridge for a while.

Cook meatballs in non-stick pan. Serve with veges - broccoli, green beans, corn, boiled potatoes. Serve with plum sauce.

Result: 3

Preparation: veges are easy, meatballs a little fiddly.

Chicken and veges with lemon sauce

Make lemon sauce: chicken stock cubes, lemon juice, dry sherry, sugar, salt, cook to dissolve sugar. Add cornflour slurry.

Serve with pan-fried chicken and random vegetables.

Result: 3.5. Sauce really lifts a dull meal.

Preparation: Very quick.

Fried Rice

Cook rice in rice cooker well in advance (2 hours) and leave to cool and dry, spread out, turning occasionally.

Fry up finely diced onion, chicken, capsicum, mushrooms, zucchini, tofu, puffy tofu, omelette, bacon, and remove.

Fry rice, adding oil. When separate and slightly crispy, add other ingredients and continue heating through. Add sesame oil and soy sauce and fresh coriander.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: easy, though lots of chopping.

Eggs Florentine

Poached eggs
Thick toast
Wilted spinach
Balsamic reduction (balsamic vinegar and brown sugar)
Black pepper

(good served with salad and one of Sally's pasties)

Result: 5 for brekky or lunch, 4 for dinner because a bit simple

Preparation: quick! Be careful with the poached eggs and try not to make balsamic toffee.

Lamb Chop Casserole

Lamb chops (floured & fried)
Carrot, onion, garlic, finely diced, fried.
Desiree potatoes, scalloped, laid in casserole.
Layer of carrot + onion.
Chops.
Rest of carrot + onion.
Rest of spuds.
Then in frying pan, deglaze with Cinzano, then add cup of chicken stock, tin tomatoes, red wine vinegar, capsicum, worstershire sauce, rosemary.

Cook on 140, fan off, for 4 hours.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: kind of fiddly, but easy, and hard to reheat so make on day of serving.