Cookbook

Cookbook

SHARE A MEAL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

1

Contents Introduction

4

AWord from Linda Westacott

5

AWord from Brendan Lonergan

6

Our Artists

7

AWord from Ronni Khan

8

Equipment

10

Pantry Staples

12

Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables

13

Chicken Schnitzel with chips, peppercorn sauce and coleslaw

16

Southern Fried Chicken with smokey sweet potato, sour cream and salsa

18

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Pie

20

Honey Soy Chicken with stir fried bok choy and rice

22

Roast Chicken with roasted root vegetables and gravy

24

Chicken cacciatore with cous cous

26

Chicken Soup

28

Fish and Chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas

30

Beef Lasagne with green salad

32

Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, greens and gravy

34

Indian Beef Kofta Curry and rice

36

Beef Stroganoff and Pasta

38

Cottage Pie

40

2

Meatballs with tomato sauce and penne pasta

42

Lamb Tagine with Pilaf Rice

44

Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry with rice

46

Spinach and Fetta Pastries with yoghurt and mint sauce

48

Zucchini, Thyme and Lemon Gratin

50

Cauliflower Cheese

52

Green Salad

53

Panna cottas

56

Fruit Salad & Icecream

57

Trifles

58

Profiteroles with cream and chocolate sauce

61

Pavlovas with whipped cream and berries

62

Fruit Crumble

64

Chocolate Mousse with whipped cream and berries

66

Jam Drops

68

Muffins

70

Queens Cup Cakes

74

Scones with jam and cream

76

Acknowledgements

3

Introduction How the book came about

This book follows on from our first book, Share a meal, Share a conversation, and came about from having a conversation about the food we have been delivered each week and how we use it. It began during the second wave of Covid 19 in 2021. The main purpose of the book is to offer people who are isolated an easy and affordable way to cook simple dishes. The retro theme which appears in all the photos we have taken comes from the fact that most of the recipes are old fashioned, so we made the most of Renee’s large retro crockery collection. We also used it to keep our service users busy at home by creating the artwork. That appears in the book.

We hope that it is practical, enjoyable and gives people recipes that are easy to make.

4

A bit about me

I came to professional cooking sort of by accident. I was studying music and needed a part-time job. At first, I worked as a rather bad waitress and then yes, the obligatory dishwasher. I slowly worked my way into the kitchen of the Art Gallery Restaurant at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Under the guidance of the extraordinary and unique Cath Kerry, I learnt everything I needed to know about cooking and life in general. I worked with many chefs over my time there and learnt so much. Eventually I went on to run the kitchen for 8 years. I got my formal qualifications through the recog- nition of prior learning scheme. From there I went on to work for a catering company where I learnt to cater on a very large scale. I remember visiting my mother in the nursing home she was in, and I watched an oversized esky that vaguely resembled a Tardis get plugged into the wall and switched on. 5 minutes later it was opened, and 20 identical trays of extremely unattractive and foul-smelling food appeared. I was hor- rified and from then on, I thought about finding a cooking job where I could create food for elderly people that was delicious, nutritious, affordable, offering people a sense of feeling special when they eat. I had also come to notice the work of Oz Harvest and their commitment to rescuing left over food which I thought it was an extremely important concept. When I got the job at Beehive, I couldn’t believe my luck. A golden opportunity to produce restaurant quality food to people from our diverse community (for some of our community it is their only meal of the day) using left over produce that would have become land fill. Oz Harvest, who work alongside with Woolworths have provided most of the ingredients I cook with every week, and apart from a few pantry staples I try to use only what gets delivered. Towards the end of last year Beehive Industries was fortunate enough to be included in the Oz Har- vest/ Woolworths Christmas fundraising campaign. A commercial was made using some of our ser- vice users, Woolworths and Oz Harvest staff and me to demonstrate the flow of food waste, from rescued food, delivered food, and finally cooked food. This was a national campaign which raised over ……. Dollars. I am very grateful to have been involved in such a venture. I feel very privileged to do what I do, and I hope the recipes I have chosen for this book give you an understanding of what can be done with leftover food, and how cooking these dishes can give peo- ple a sense of dignity and pride, easily and inexpensively.

5

A word from Brendan Lonergan Beehive Industries CEO

6

Our artists Beehive Industries

The drawings throughout this cookbook have been done by various people that attend Beehive Industries. After the first covid lockdowns in Sydney, on return we did not have consistent work on our Production Floor and saw this as the perfect opportunity to introduce some Art and Craft Activities for our Service Users. We started offering Art Classes beginning with some Mandela Dot Painting, Decoupage projects and Painting. At first we only had a few people interested, some were hesitant, but as a little time went on and others saw the results there were more and more people interested. There have been days we did not have enough space or materials for all of the people wanting to participate. Some have also suggested projects we could include in the program. When this cookbook was commenced we were in the second Covid outbreak and long lockdown in Sydney. We saw this as an activity to help keep our people connected and busy through their artwork whilst in Lockdown at home. We purchased the accessories required paints, pencils, sketch books etc, wrote a brief and delivered the kits to the people interested in participating. Each week we would pick up their drawings whilst doing our food drops to them and kept them motivated. As you will see we have been able to enhance the pages of the cookbook with our very own inhouse, at home in Lockdown artists. We thank them all for their contribution. Carol Barbeau Shu Zhao Ilia Furer Ludmila Loiko Galina Khait Tamara Abelev Florida Twemlow Mina Parikh

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Heading Subheading

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Dress your table

When you have cooked a nice meal and whether you are with friends, family, in person or over the internet, even on your own, it is nice to create an atmosphere to enjoy your Meal. I am certain if you look around in your cupboards and cabinets you will have some interesting and even favoured items you have not seen or used recently. Whether they were a gift or a hand me down. Put those items to use, they are no good sitting in the back of the cabinet or gathering dust in a cupboard. It can be from your Mum’s tablecloth, your Grandmothers Cutlery or a Candle Stick, Vase or Ornament you may have been given or purchased a life time ago. Anything really that you would like to utilise. Place these items around and use them at your dinner table. Firstly it will make your meal more enjoyable and can even be a talking point for you and your guests. When you go through our cookbook you will find a collection of items on each page that have been utilised to Dress the Table. Most of these items are from our collectables or hand me downs. If you are interested in purchasing some items for your own table, have a look on Ebay, look at the local thrift store for some true vintage collectable pieces.

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Equipment Appliances 1. Induction cooktop/ stove 2. Oven 3. Hand electric mixer

Kitchen Utensils 1. Knife 2. Ladle 3. Spatule 4. Wooden spoons 5. Whisk 6. Potato Masher 7. Vegetable peeler

Kitchenware 1. Saucepan and lid

2. Large frypan 3. Small frypan 4. Set of mixing bowls 5. Microwave safe container 6. Baking trays 7. Casserole dishes 8. Gratin dishes 9. Colander 10.Sieve

8. Rolling pin 9. Box grater

10.Slotted spoons 11. Serving spoons 12. Pastry Brush 13. Scone cutter (or a glass) 14. Tongs 15. Measuring cups 16.Measuring spoons 17. Measuring jug

Other Essentials 1. Skewers 2. Paper towel 3. Baking paper or aluminium foil 4. Glad wrap

Food Safety Information To avoid food related illness through cross contamination please follow the safety guidelines below. Chopping boards, plates, knives blenders, mixers, bowls or any other

surface that has been in contact with raw meat, seafood, unwashed vegetables or herbs needs to be carefully washed with warm water and detergent, then rinsed and thoroughly dried before being used for ready to eat foods.

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Pantry Staples

This is a basic list of ingredients you should have on hand in your pantry and fridge. It helps you know what you have, so you don’t have to buy anything unnecessarily.

Baking ingredient staples 1. Plain flour 2. Self-raising flour 3. Baking powder 4. Bi-carb soda 5. Vanilla essence 6. Caster sugar Wet ingredient staples 1. Butter 2. Milk 3. Cream 4. Yoghurt 5. Eggs 6. Olive oil 7. Vegetable oil 8. Soy sauce 9. Vinegar

Dry ingredient staples 1. Rice, basmati and jasmine 2. Pasta, including lasagne sheets, penne and spirals 3. Spices, including cumin, coriander, paprika, tumeric, cinnamon and cardamom 4. Dried herbs, including rosemary, thyme, oregano and bay leaves 5. Salt and pepper 6. Tinned tomatoes and tomato paste 7. Frozen peas

12

Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables Buying fruit and vegetables when they are in season is important. Firstly, it helps you save money as things are cheaper when they are in abundance and secondly it means you are eating things that are fresh and have more flavor. Most fruit and vegetables can now be bought all year round but that doesn’t mean we have to eat them all the time. Summer Vegetables : tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, cucumbers, basil, avocados, capsicums, beans, corn Fruit : mangoes, bananas. apricots, peaches, nectarines, grapes, raspberries and blueberries, passionfruit Autumn Vegetables : beetroot, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, garlic, ginger, kale, mushrooms, onions Fruit : apples, bananas, pears, pineapple Winter Vegetables : avocados, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kale, spinach, leeks, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin Fruit : rhubarb, apples, pears, bananas, grapefruit, oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, pineapple Spring Vegetables : asparagus, avocadoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, radishes Fruit : mangoes, bananas. apricots, peaches, nectarines, grapes, raspberries and blueberries, passionfruit

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Savoury

Chicken schnitzel with peppercorn sauce, coleslaw, and chips

45 minutes

30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

Schnitzel • 1 packet chicken schnitzel steaks (or you can slice 2 chicken breasts in half and flattened out to 1cm thick- ness with a rolling pin in be- tween 2 pieces of cling wrap) • 1 ½ cups shop bought bread- crumbs • 3 eggs, lightly whisked • salt and pepper • oil for baking Instructions

My mother’s coleslaw • ¼ red cabbage, finely sliced • ¼ green cabbage, finely sliced • 1 carrot, peeled and grated • 1 tbsp of finely chopped parsley • ½ tsp salt • ¼ tsp white pepper • ½ tsp sugar

Peppercorn sauce • 3 tbsp instant gravy powder • 250 ml boiling water • ¼ cup thickened cream • 1 tbsp green peppercorns, crushed with the back of a spoon. • 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar

• 1 tsp white vinegar • ¼ cup shop bought mayonnaise

Peppercorn Sauce • Put the gravy powder into a saucepan and whisk in the boiling water. • Place the saucepan on a low heat on the stove top. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly. Add cream, crushed peppercorns and maple syrup or brown sugar and continue to stir until it is thick. • Taste for seasoning. Keep warm. My mother’s coleslaw • Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and taste. Do this about 15 minutes before you want to serve it, as it will soften the cabbage slightly.

Schnitzel • Place the raw chicken pieces on a plate. • Place beaten eggs in a shallow bowl, wide enough to hold a whole piece of flattened chicken. • Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow baking tray. Season with a small amount of salt and pepper. • Have a third plate ready for the crumbed chicken. • Use one hand to place the raw chicken in the egg mixture and coat well, lift it up to let the excess mix fall off. Then place chicken into the breadcrumbs and with your other hand place crumbs over the chicken and pat down. Place on the third plate. • Repeat with remaining chicken. • Heat oven to 180ºC. • Place schnitzels on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. • This is a perfect time to cook your chips as well. Follow the packet directions. • Once everything is ready, place the chips and a generous spoonful of coleslaw on a plate and pour a large spoonful of the peppercorn sauce over the schnitzel, or you can put it in a small jug and let everyone help themselves.

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I love a good peppercorn sauce. I also adore a good schnitzel with an old-fashioned coleslaw and hot chips. Bring the four together and you have pub food perfection. When the weekly Ozharvest delivery brings you 10 kilos of chicken breast steaks, a dented, wonky can of green peppercorns and some weary, but salvageable cabbages, Wednesday lunch for the Beehive community looks very promising. Instant gravy powder can be simply transformed into peppery goodness, a simple crumbed chicken, my mother’s coleslaw recipe which has stood the test of time, and hot chips. Job done.

Storage The peppercorn sauce can be frozen for 2 months. If you don’t need all the chicken, you can wrap it in individual pieces and freeze for 2 months. The coleslaw will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator. Dress your table Add some flowers to your favourite vase.

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Dress your table Use some special bowls, from the back of your cupboard!

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Southern fried chicken with smokey sweet potato, sour cream and salsa

45 minutes

35 minutes

Serves 4

I love this dish and by baking the chicken you avoid the messy and sometimes dangerous process of deep–frying, and you get a very similar result.

Ingredients

Chicken • 4 chicken drumsticks • 500 ml of buttermilk or 1 cup of yoghurt mixed with a cup of milk • ¼ tsp dried rosemary • ½ tsp dried oregano • ¼ tsp ground black pepper • 1 tsp paprika • 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp onion powder • ½ tsp salt • ½ cup plain flour, to coat the chicken, keep separate from spice mix. • 1 tsp olive oil Spice mix • ¼ tsp dried thyme

Salsa • 2 spring onions thinly sliced into rounds • ½ avocado, cut into 1 cm pieces • 1 tomato, cut into 1 cm pieces • 1 x 125 g can corn kernels, drained • ½ small cucumber, cut into 1 cm pieces • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander • Juice ½ small lime or lemon • 1 tbsp olive oil • pinch of salt and pepper

Sweet potato • 750 g sweet potato, cut into 5 cm x 2cm wedges

• ½ tsp paprika • 1 tbsp olive oil • pinch of salt

Sour cream for serving • 1 tbsp per person. A small 200 g container should do it.

Instructions

Chicken • Soak the chicken in the buttermilk or yoghurt mixture for 4 hours or overnight. • Preheat oven to 180ºC. • Mix 1 tablespoon of spice mix with the flour on a large plate. • Take the chicken and pull out one drumstick from the buttermilk mixture and roll it in the spiced flour. Place this on a lined baking tray. • Repeat with remaining drumsticks. Discard the buttermilk. • Drizzle chicken with olive oil and place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning over halfway through.

Salsa • Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix. Taste and season. Sweet potato • Peel the sweet potato and cut into wedges. Spread out evenly on a large, lined baking tray. • Mix the olive oil, salt and paprika in a small bowl. Pour and spread this mix all over the sweet potato wedges with your hands. • Place in oven at the same time as the chicken and cook for 30 minutes. It should be soft to touch, but crispy on the outside. Sour cream to serve • You can either serve this on a large platter with the sour cream and salsa in separate bowls, or you can serve two drumsticks, some wedges and salsa on plates. Let people help themselves to the sour cream. Storage This dish does not keep.

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Chicken, bacon and mushroom pie

1 hour 40 minutes

25 minutes

Serves x

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thigh fillet, diced into 3 cm pieces • 2 rashers of bacon, cut into small pieces, about 1 cm • 1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped or 1 leek, cleaned and sliced • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 1 tbsp dried Thyme • 1 tbsp fresh Sage chopped

• 1 cup water • 1 tbsp plain flour • 2 tbsp olive oil • ½ cup thickened cream • salt and pepper

• 2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry, defrosted • 1 egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of cold water • ½ teaspoon butter for greasing the pie case

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley • 250 g mushrooms, sliced

Instructions

Filling • Heat a large frypan until hot, add half the olive oil and fry the onions, bacon, and mushrooms until golden, stirring regularly until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from frypan and place in bowl. • Place fry pan back on the heat, add the remaining oil and begin to add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is well browned, around 3-4 minutes. • Return all other ingredients to the pan including the herbs. Add water, bring to boil, reduce heat, and cook for 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. • At this point you can add the cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, taste. • Sprinkle in the flour and stir well until thickened. Remove from heat and place in a bowl and allow to cool for an hour or until the mixture is cold enough so it won’t melt the pastry. You can also leave it overnight in the refrigerator and bake the pie the next day if you wish.

Assembly • Preheat oven to 180℃. Grease a 30 cm pie dish with butter. • Lay the first sheet of pastry on the bottom of the dish, spoon in the chicken filling and spread out evenly. • Brush the edges of the bottom layer of pastry with some of the egg yolk mix and place the second sheet of pastry over the top. • Seal the edges together by pushing down with a fork. Brush the top of the pie with remaining egg mix. • Pierce a hole in the top with a knife to allow the air to get while it is cooking. • Cook in oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot and bubbling. Cut into pieces and serve. Storage The filling will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer. The pie can be frozen uncooked and keep for 2 months in the freezer.

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This is one of my favorite things. If you want to, you can make smaller pies following the same instructions as in the spinach and fetta triangle recipe, otherwise make a large pie. You could just put pastry on the top, but I think the best part about this dish is eating all the pastry mixed with the filling. This goes perfectly with mashed potato and greens (page meatloaf recipe). Greens can be anything you have on hand.

Dress your table Pour your wine from a decanter

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Honey soy chicken with stir fried bok choy and rice

½ hour plus marinating time

40 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Chicken • 4 chicken drumsticks, make a small incision diagonally across the skin of each drumstick • ¼ cup soy sauce • 2 tbsp honey • 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped • 3 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped • ¼ tspChinese five spice powder • 1 tbsp sesame oil • 1 tbsp of vegetable oil • 2 tbsp water, added to the mari- nade later when cooking Mix all these together and marinate the chicken in a bowl for 4 to 6 hours, or even better overnight

Rice • 1 cup jasmine rice or long grain rice • 1 cup cold water

Bok choy • 1 bunch of bok choy

washed and the white ends cut into eighths, green part kept separate. • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced, save a bit of the green tops to sprinkle over at the end.

• 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil • 1 ½ tbsp water • 1 tsp sugar • ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp sesame oil

Instructions

Chicken • Preheat oven to 180℃. Line a medium sized baking tray with baking paper. • Place the chicken on the tray and bake for 35 minutes, turning the chicken over after 15 minutes. • Gently heat the remaining marinade in a small sauce- pan with the 2 tablespoons of water until it thickens, about 2 minutes.

Rice • Wash and rinse rice in cold water 3 times, this removes a bit of the starch and gives a fluffier rice at the end of the cooking. • Add 1 cup of cold water to the rice. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan, place on heat and bring to the boil. Turn it down to low immediately and cook for 6 minutes. • Turn off the heat and let it sit in the saucepan with the lid still on for 15 minutes. This can be done about 10 minutes after you have started cooking your chicken

Bok choy • About 5 minutes or so before the chicken is cooked, you can cook the bok choy. • Heat the vegetable oil in a large fry pan and add the white parts of the bok choy and cook for 2 minutes. • Add the spring onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the top part of the Bok choy and cook for a minute until it has wilted.

Storage The chicken and rice will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days. The Bok choy, however, doesn’t keep once cooked as it goes soggy. Just cook ½ a bunch at a time for a single portion if you’re on your own.

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This is an easy and cheap dish to make. We always get chicken in some form every week. Bok choy is an Asian green vegetable which has become very popular and is always available and inexpen- sive. If you can’t get it, you can use green beans or broccoli, just cook them for a minute or so longer (see bok choy method). All the other ingredients can be bought at the supermarket and added to your pantry.

Dress your table Dress your table with items from the orient

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Dress your table Dress your table with items from the orient

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Roast chicken with roasted root vegetables and gravy

30 minutes

1 ½-2 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken • 1 x 1 kg whole chicken • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp salt • ¼ tsp ground black pepper • ½ lemon Gravy – See meatloaf recipe

Roasted veg • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthways • ½ small butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces • 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces • 2 potatoes, washed and cut into 3 cm pieces (you don’t need to peel these)

• 3 tbsp olive oil • salt and pepper • 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Chicken • Preheat oven to 200℃.

Roasted root vegetables • Once the chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes or so, you can get your vegetables on. • Place all the vegetables in a large roasting tray, pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Throw on the thyme. Give it all a good mix around, place in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until tender and golden brown. • Using tongs and a sharp knife, pull the chicken apart as best as you can. • Serve the chicken on a large platter, the vegies on another and the gravy in a jug. Let everyone help themselves.

• Take the chicken out of the wrapper and wipe it dry inside and out with paper towel. Place it in a large baking dish. • Mix the olive oil and salt and pepper together in a small bowl and rub it all over the chicken, again inside and out. Place the half lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. • Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 200℃, then turn the heat down to 180ºC and cook for about another hour. To tell if the chicken is cooked, place a skewer into one of the legs. The juice should be clear. Alternatively, probably a safer method is to use a meat thermometer. The meat should measure between 72 and 75℃. • Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes before serving. Gravy • See meatloaf recipe but use some of the cooked chicken juice as well. Storage • Allow the chicken to cool for about an hour at room temperature. It can then be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

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Dress your table Dress your table with items fwith your favourite table cloth

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Chicken cacciatore with cous cous

20 minutes

20 minutes

Serves 2-4

An easy dish to make. Cous cous is basically a pasta, consisting of small granules of durum wheat. It is very simple to cook. You could use rice if you have that instead. Chicken cacciatore simply means something like Hunter’s stew in Italian.

Ingredients

Chicken • 500 g chicken thigh fillets, skinless, boneless, cut into 3 cm pieces • 1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 1 tsp dried rosemary • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp tomato paste • 1 x 400 g can crushed tomatoes • 1 cup of water • ¼ cup pitted sliced black olives, rinsed • 1 ½ tsp of capers, rinsed and roughly chopped • 1 tbsp vinegar (any kind), or lemon juice • salt and pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil • ¼ bunch fresh parsley, sprinkled over at the end Instructions Chicken • Heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan. When hot add the chicken in batches until browned, remove each batch and place on a plate with paper towels to drain off excess oil. • Add remaining oil to the pan. Fry onion for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, tomato paste and herbs, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes. Use the cup of water to rinse out the tomato tin and add to pot. • Return the chicken to the pot and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked. • Add the olives, capers and vinegar and taste. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Cous cous • 1 cup cous cous • 375 ml water • 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional just for garnish • 1 teaspoon butter to mix through at the end • ¼ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Cous cous • Get this ready about 5 minutes before the chicken is cooked. Place the raw cous cous in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper and mix well. • Heat the water and olive oil and bring to the boil. Pour over the cous cous and stir. • Quickly cover the bowl with cling wrap and let it sit for 3 minutes. (All the water should have absorbed). • Remove cling wrap. • Separate the cous cous with the 2 forks until it is light and fluffy. Add butter if you wish. • Taste for seasoning. • Serve a spoon of cous cous, a large spoon of cacciatore on top and garnish with chopped parsley.

Storage Only make ½ the cous cous if it’s for two. Cool the chicken down for an hour. It will keep for 3 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. The cous cous will keep in the fridge for 3 days, but doesn’t freeze very well.

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Chicken soup

30 minutes

1 hour

Serves 4

This recipe is perfect for using up left-over vegetables in your refrigerator, so if you don’t have the turnips and swedes, you can use whatever you have. It requires a little bit of chopping and shredding but is so comforting. It’s perfect with some warm crusty bread and butter.

Ingredients • 1 x 1 kg whole chicken • 2 L water, or enough to cover the chicken when it’s in the pot • 1 brown onion, peeled and chopped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped • 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped • 1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 turnip, peeled and roughly chopped • 1 swede, peeled and roughly chopped • 1 ½ tbsp dried thyme • 1 ½ tbsp of dried rosemary • 2 bay leaves • ½ bunch parsley, left whole

• 3 tbsp olive oil • salt and pepper

Instructions • Heat oil in a large saucepan, large enough to hold a chicken. Fry onion, garlic, carrot and celery, stirring regularly until soft. • Add the dried herbs, bay leaves, potato, swede and turnip. Stir to coat all the vegetables. • Pour the water into the pot. Gently drop in the chicken and parsley. • Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, making sure the chicken stays covered. The chicken is cooked when temperature of the chicken is 75ºC, or when you insert a skewer and the juice from the chicken comes out clear. • Take off the heat and using tongs, carefully remove the chicken from the pot. Cool slightly and when it is cool enough to handle, pull all the meat from the bones and roughly shred with your hands. Discard the bones. • Return the shredded chicken to the pot, return to the heat and bring to the boil. • Taste and season. Serve immediately. Storage Allow the soup to cool down for an hour. It can be stored in individual portions in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.

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Dress your table Dress your table with items fwith your favourite table cloth

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Fish and chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas

15 minutes

25-30 minutes

Serves 2

This isn’t a new dish or even a recipe really, but it’s a crowd favorite. In fact, I could serve it every day for lunch, and everyone would be very happy. The battered fish is bought, the chips are bought, all you have to do is make the tartar (you can buy that too) and make the mushy peas. The fish and chips get baked in the oven. Ingredients Instructions

Fish and chips • 2 pieces of frozen crumbed or battered fish from the supermarket • 400 g of frozen oven fries from the supermarket Tartare sauce (Makes about 300 g) • 2 tbsp of pickled gherkins, finely chopped • 1 tbsp of juice from the gherkins • 1 ½ tbsp of capers finely chopped • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced, both white and green parts • 2 tbsp of fresh dill, finely chopped • 1 cup of shop bought mayonnaise • ⅛ tsp ground black pepper Mushy peas • 1 cup frozen peas • 1 tsp dried mint • 750 ml water • 1 tsp salt • 1 tablespoon butter • ¼ cup of the pea cooking liquid • 1 tbsp white vinegar • pinch of salt and ground white pepper

Tartare • Mix everything together in a bowl and taste. Mushy peas Make this while you are cooking the fish and chips • Add water, 1 tsp of salt and dried mint to a small saucepan and bring them to the boil. • Bring the pot back to the boil and boil for 4 minutes. • Take ¼ cup of the liquid out, the drain the peas in a colander. • Return peas to the pot, add butter and the cooking water from the peas. Mash with potato masher. • Add vinegar and add the salt and pepper to taste. Fish and chips • Preheat oven to required temperature, usually about 220℃. Cook the fish and chips according to instructions on packets. • Serve the fish and chips with a dollop of tartare sauce and a spoonful of mushy peas.

Storage Tartare will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator. The mushy peas don’t keep well.

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Dress your table Print your own personal newspaper

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Beef lasagne with green salad

1 hour

55 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

Meat sauce • Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for about 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute. • Add the mince and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat has browned, about 8-10 minutes. • Now add the thyme and rosemary. • Add the crushed tomatoes. Clean out the cans with the cup of water and add this as well. • Add the basil and parsley. • Bring to the boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 35– 40 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick. Take off the heat and remove parsley. Instructions Bechamel sauce • Place butter in a medium saucepan and heat gently until melted. Pour in the flour and salt and pepper and stir to combine. • Continue stirring for about 2 minutes to get rid of the floury taste. • Start using a whisk. Pour in half of the milk and whisk well until smooth. Add remaining milk and continue to whisk until the mixture comes almost to the boil and has thickened to the consistency of thick custard. • Add cheese and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Making the lasagne • Preheat oven to 180℃. • Place a large spoonful of meat sauce into a baking dish measuring 34cm long x 24 centimetres wide and 7 centimetres deep. Spread evenly over the dish. • Drizzle a serving spoon of the bechamel over the meat. • Place 3 lasagne sheets over the top, covering the whole dish. Repeat this process (meat sauce, bechamel lasagne sheets). • The final layer should be lasgane sheets. You will need to use enough to cover the entire top of the dish. • Pour the remaining béchamel over the lasgane sheets. Using a spatula, spread it evenly across the top. • Sprinkle the grated cheese over this and the nutmeg if using. • Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Take out of oven. • Carefully remove the foil so that the cheese doesn’t come off. Place back in the oven and cook for another 10-15 minutes until brown. • Remove from oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving. • Cut into generous pieces and serve with a salad of your choice.

Meat sauce • 500 g beef mince • 1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 1 tbsp tomato paste • 2 tbsp olive oil • ½ bunch basil, leaves only • ½ bunch parsley left whole • ¼ tsp dried thyme • ¼ tsp dried rosemary • 2 x 400 g cans of chopped tomatoes • 1 cup water • 1 tsp salt • 500 g dried lasagne sheets (you will need about 12-16 sheets) Bechamel sauce • 60 g butter • 60 g plain flour • 600 ml milk, at room tem- perature • pinch of salt and pepper • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese Topping • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

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If you love lasgane you will love this one. It’s a bit fiddly but the result is wonderful. The best bit really is that you’ve done most of the dishes before you eat it. As for the salad, a simple green salad is just perfect.

Storage You can keep the meat sauce and the cooked lasagne in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze the meat sauce for 2 months and portion any leftover lasagne and freeze, again for 2 months. Dress your table Print your own personal newspaper

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What do you do when your freezers are stocked high with various kinds of mince? I don’t think I’ve ever cooked so much mince in so many ways before in my life, but interestingly I find it to be a very enjoyable and creative process. I would say that this is the most common form of meat we get from OzHarvest each week and I am always grateful and thankful, more so than ever now that I consider myself quite an authority on mince recipes. Meat loaf is a classic dish and an easy way to use mince. Just mix all the ingredients together, bake it, slice it and serve it. What could be easier.

Storage Once the meatloaf has cooled for half an hour or so you can slice it, wrap a serve or serves and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Dress your table Bring some rustic elegance to your table setting

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Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and greens with gravy

1 hour

1.5 hours

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

Meat loaf • 500 g beef mince • 1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 2 eggs • ½ cup breadcrumbs • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tbsp tomato sauce • ¼ tsp dried thyme • ¼ tsp dried rosemary • 1 ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp ground black pepper

Mashed potato • 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters • 2 tbsp butter • ⅓ cup milk • 1 L water • ¼ tsp salt for cooking the potatoes • salt and pepper Gravy • 3 tablespoons of instant gravy powder • 250 ml of boiling water, from a kettle • 1 tsp of seeded mustard • 1stp honey

Greens • This depends on what’s lying around. If you have peas then these go perfectly, otherwise use whatever is at hand – broccoli, beans, etc. • salt for the water, • ½ cup of peas would do one person nicely. • butter or olive oil.

Instructions Meatloaf • Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine everything. Line a loaf tin with baking paper • Place mixture into the loaf tin, pressing the mixture down firmly with the back of your hand so there are no air bubbles. • Put this onto another flat baking tray (as it may leak) and bake at 180℃ for 1 hour until the meat is cooked. Allow to cool slightly. • Carefully remove from loaf tin. Place on a chopping board and slice into 1 ½ cm slices. Place a piece on the plate with mashed potato, greens and gravy. Mashed potato • Place the peeled and cut potatoes in a medium saucepan of cold water. Add ¼ tsp of salt. • Place on stove, bring to boil and cook on a medium heat for 12 minutes, or until you can pierce the potato with a fork and it is soft. • Strain through a colander. Place potatoes back into the pot and mash with the potato masher. Add butter and milk and mix until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Gravy • Put gravy powder into a small saucepan and place on stove. Whisk in boiling water until thick. Add mustard and honey. Pour over meatloaf or place in a jug on the table. Greens • You can use any greens you want. For frozen greens the general rule is to place the vegetables into salted boiling water and cook them for about 4 minutes or until cooked. • Strain though a colander, season with salt and pepper and serve. You can add butter or a drizzle of oil if you want to.

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Indian Beef Kofta curry with rice

20 minutes

20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

Koftas • Preheat oven to 180 ℃. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Mix all kofta ingredients together in a large bowl. • Put some water in a small bowl and wet your hands. Take a tablespoon of this mixture and roll it into an oval shape. • Place on the baking tray and continue with remaining mixture. Brush a small amount of vegetable oil over the top of each kofta. • Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Remove from oven and set aside. Instructions Curry sauce • Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and golden. Add all the spices and stir for about a minute or so. • Pour in the tomatoes, rinse out the can with the water and add this to the pot. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. • Take out 1 cup of the sauce, place it in a bowl and mix in the yoghurt (this stops the sauce separating). Return this mix to the pot, add the koftas and fresh coriander and cook for another 5 minutes. • Serve a healthy spoonful on top of the rice and top with extra chopped coriander. Rice • Follow the cooking instructions for the rice according to the cauliflower curry recipe on page 46.

Beef Koftas (makes about 20) • 500 g beef mince • 2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and grated • 2 tsp garam masala • 2 tsp ground coriander • 2 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp salt • 1 egg • water for your hands Curry sauce • 1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced • 2 tsp ground cumin • 2 tsp ground coriander • ½ tsp ground cinnamon • ¼ tsp ground cloves • 4 cardamom pods, crushed with the back of a spoon • ½ tsp ground turmeric • 1 tsp paprika • 1 tsp garam masala • 1 tsp salt • ½ bunch coriander, washed and roughly chopped. (Hold back 2 tbsp for garnish) • 1 x 400 g can chopped toma- toes • ½ cup water • 1 cup plain yoghurt • 2 tbsp vegetable oil to brush on rolled koftas Rice • 2 cups jasmine rice or long grain rice • 2 cups cold water

Storage The kofta curry will keep in the refrigerator for 2–3 days or will freeze for 2 months. Rice doesn’t freeze well but will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

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As you’ve probably noticed, there are a lot of recipes for mince in this book. This kofta curry is a great way of making mince special. The beautiful rich sauce just compliments the koftas so nicely and a simple serving of rice is refreshing and perfect. Again, as with other recipes, you can halve the rice if it is only for two people. Garam masala is a ground Indian spice mix, containing black pepper- corns, mace, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom pods and nutmeg.

Dress your table Bring some rustic elegance to your table setting

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Beef Stroganoff with pasta

20 minutes

30 minutes

Serves 2

Owing to the large population of Russian people who come to Beehive, I decided to make a retro Beef Stroganoff for lunch. The history behind the dish and its name is supposedly credited to a French chef working for a rich Russian family called Stroganov in the late 19th century, for whom he created the dish and even entered it in a competition. It’s an easy dish to make and nowadays you can buy the mushrooms and beef already sliced if you wish. Use whatever pasta you have. If you don’t have parsley, don’t worry.

Ingredients

Beef • 1 ½ tsp mustard powder • ¼ tsp sugar • ½ tsp salt • 1 tsp water • 300 g rump steak, sliced into 5 mm slices at room temperature • 1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced • 200 g sliced mushrooms thinly sliced (you can buy them already sliced at the supermarket • 4 tbsp olive oil • 150 ml of water • ½ cup sour cream. • 1 tbsp chopped parsley to sprinkle on top. Instructions

Pasta • 200 g of spiral pasta, you can also use fettucine or penne • Enough water to come ¾ way up in a medium saucepan • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp butter

Stroganoff • Combine mustard powder, sugar, salt and a tsp of water in a small bowl. Mix to a paste. • Heat a large frypan until hot. Turn the heat down to medium and pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced onion and fry until soft and golden but not burnt, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a bowl. • Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan and now cook the mushrooms. Cook until the moisture disappears and they turn a golden brown for about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in the same bowl as the onions. • Heat the remaining oil in the pan and when hot add the beef. Cook for 7 minutes until just cooked through. • Add the onions, mushrooms, mustard paste and mix well. Add water then the sour cream and allow to thicken slightly for about 6 minutes. Taste. Pasta • Bring the water to the boil, add salt and cook the pasta (according to the directions on the packet). Strain in a colander, place in a bowl and mix through butter. • Spoon a generous spoonful of the stroganoff on a plate per person, add a spoonful of pasta just next to the meat and garnish with chopped parsley. Storage If you don’t eat it in one go you can put it in a container in the fridge once its cooled. It will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.

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Dress your table Bring some rustic elegance to your table setting

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Cottage pie

45 minutes

20-30 minutes

Serves 4

Cottage pie is beef mince, shepherd’s pie is lamb, simple. It still causes confusion. Shepherds herd sheep – makes sense really! It doesn’t really matter though. A classic winter dish and one of the many ways to turn mince into something delicious. Serve it with some steamed green vegetables if you wish.

Ingredients

Filling • 500 g beef mince • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 medium brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped • 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped • 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped • 1 tbsp tomato paste • 1 tbsp tomato sauce • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 1 ½ cups water • ½ tsp dried thyme • ½ tsp dried rosemary • 2 tbsp plain flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water • salt and pepper, a good pinch of each Instructions

Potato crust • 800 g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped • water for cooking • ½ tsp salt for cooking • 80 g butter, cubed • 80 g grated cheddar cheese plus ¼ cup extra for the top • salt and pepper to taste

Filling • Preheat oven to 180℃. • Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook on a medium heat until soft. Add the tomato paste. • Add the beef mince and cook for about 8 minutes until the beef is cooked. Use the spoon to break up the mince. • Add the dried herbs, Worcestershire sauce, water and tomato sauce and cook for about 25 minutes. Add the flour and water mixture, mix in well and continue to cook until the filling is thick. • Pour into an oven proof baking dish. Potato crust • Put potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add salt. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes until soft. • Strain through a colander and return to the pan. Add the butter and mash with a potato masher. Fold through the grated cheese and taste. Season. • Spread this evenly over the meat filling and finally sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Storage Once cooled, this will keep in the fridge for 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

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Dress your table Bring some rustic elegance to your table setting

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Another classic way to use up mince. You could use any mince you can get, lamb chicken, pork. Tinned tomatoes are cheap and easy to buy, and the pasta can be whatever you have in your pantry. I like using penne because the sauce gets inside the pasta, and it’s easier to eat with the meatballs.

Storage If you are only serving 2 people you can freeze the meatballs, pasta and sauce in a container for 2 months, or it will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Dress your table Transform your table to take you to Italy

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Meatballs with tomato sauce and penne pasta

30 minutes

40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

Meatballs • 500 g beef mince • ½ brown onion, peeled and finely chopped • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 1 tsp dried rosemary • 1 tsp dried thyme • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped • ½ tsp salt • ¼ tsp ground black pepper • 1 egg • ¼ cup breadcrumbs • 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil for frying • small bowl of water to roll the meatballs

Tomato sauce • 1x 400 g can of chopped tomatoes • 1 cup of cold water • 1 tbsp of tomato paste. • ½ brown onion, peeled and finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 1 tsp dried thyme • 1 tbsp fresh parsley,

Pasta • 400 g penne or pasta of your choice • water to cook the pasta • 1 tsp salt

chopped, plus extra to sprinkle over each plate when serving.

• ½ tsp salt • ¼ tsp ground black pepper. • 2 tbsp olive oil • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese for serving.

Meatballs, makes about 16 • Place all the ingredients for the meatballs into a large mixing bowl and mix with a large spoon, or your hands, until everything is combined. Wet your hands, scoop some mixture the size of a golf ball and roll into a ball. Place on a large plate. Continue rolling until you have used all the mixture. • Heat oil in a large fry pan. When hot carefully place in the meatballs, making sure there is enough room to turn them over. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. • Remove from pan and place on a clean plate. • Cool down the pan and wipe it out with a paper towel. Instructions Tomato sauce • Heat oil in the same frypan on a medium heat and fry the onion for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute. • Add the thyme and parsley and the crushed tomatoes. Rinse out empty can with the cup of water and add that to the pan. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. • Return cooked meatballs to the pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes to cook the meatballs through. Pasta About 10 minutes before the sauce and meatballs are cooked start cooking your pasta. • Fill your saucepan with water, bring to the boil and add salt. Pour in the pasta and stir. Bring back to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or according to the packet instructions. • Drain pasta in a colander. Place a large spoonful of pasta in each bowl and spoon over the meatballs, 3-4 per portion with some of the sauce. • Sprinkle over some grated parmesan and extra chopped parsley on each plate to garnish.

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Lamb tagine with pilaf rice

30 minutes

2 ½ hours

Serves 4-6

Lamb can be very expensive. It’s made cheaper by using cheaper cuts of the animal. A tagine is a name for the dish that the stew is cooked in, it hails from Morocco. It sort of looks like a chimney, which circulates the air flow. A large pot with a tight-fitting lid will do the same trick. The pilaf rice is rich in flavor, and this balances the salty sweetness of the tagine.

Ingredients

Tagine • 1 kg lamb forequarter chops • 3 tbsp olive oil

Pilaf rice • 2 cups basmati or long grain rice, washed and drained in a colander • 1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped • 1 tsp ground allspice • 1 tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp salt • 4 cups cold water • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley plus extra to sprinkle over the top

• 1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp salt • 100 g pitted prunes, kept whole • 500 ml water • juice of half a lemon or lime Instructions

Tagine • Heat a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and add the oil. Fry the lamb chops on both sides until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside. Fry onions in the same pan until soft. Add garlic and spices and salt and continue to cook for another minute. • Return the lamb to the pot and add the water and prunes. Bring to the boil and cover. Turn down the heat to very low and cook stirring occasionally for 2 to 2 ½ hours until the meat falls off the bones. Carefully remove the chops from the stew and pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. • Return the lamb pieces to the pot. Cook for another 2 minutes. • Finish with lemon or lime juice to taste. Pilaf rice • Heat oil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Fry onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add spices and salt and cook for another minute.

• Add the rice and stir well making sure each grain of rice is coated in the oil. • Pour in the cold-water cover with the lid and bring to boil. Turn down the heat to low and cook for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat keeping the pot covered and leave for 15 minutes. • Remove the lid and fold through the chopped parsley. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary. • Serve alongside the lamb tagine. Storage

Tagine will keep in the fridge for 3 days and freeze for 2 months. Pilaf rice will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days but does not freeze well.

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