Penne Boscaiola with Chicken

Fakeaway is always better when cooked at home.... no matter what cuisine. I am sure you will agree?

Tonight's fakeaway is actually an adaptation of a meal, Penne Boscaiola, that is always a hit here at A Dash Of Flavour's home base - to the point the recipe is always doubled so lunches can be taken the next day.

For a very simple pasta dish this packs a punch of flavour with every mouthful. The sauce, creamy yet made from Light and Creamy Evaporated Milk laced with sweet chilli and Parmesan has a wonderful combined flavour that smothers the pasta. Along with the bacon and chicken I love the combination of the mushrooms, capsicum and baby spinach - simple but enough.

I added the chicken tonight just for some extra protein. I am sure this would also work well with tuna or even prawns should you wish to do the same. Just be warned it's very moreish and inviting - very easy to overindulge.

Penne Boscaiola with Chicken

(Recipe adapted from WW Heavenly D’Lites Cookbook)

Serves: 6

💚 sp per serve: 11

💙 sp per serve: 10

💜 sp per serve: 10

375 grams penne pasta or GF penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)

cooking spray

1 brown onion, finely chopped

3 teaspoons crushed garlic

150 grams middle bacon, fat trimmed

1 red capsicum, thinly sliced

150 grams button mushrooms, sliced

375 ml can Carnation Light and Creamy Evaporated Skim Milk

3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

150 grams baby spinach leaves

salt

freshly ground black pepper

80 grams finely grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in pan of boiling water following packet instructions until just tender.  Drain.

Coat a large frying pan with cooking spray.  Cook the onions, garlic and bacon until onion is soft.  Add capsicum and mushroom and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until capsicum begins to soften.

Add the milk and chilli sauce to the pan.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Stir through the pasta, spinach and half the Parmesan cheese until mix through well and spinach just wilted.

Serve with remaining Parmesan cheese.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Korean Beef Bowl

Being a full time working mam I am always on the look out for really quick but flavoursome meals for week nights.  And to be perfectly honest the least pots and pans used the better - I am sure we will all agree on that.

Tonight's recipe is courtesy of a website I came across while menu planning for this week.  The site, Chew Out Loud, is magic.  Amy is very inspirational and like all of us, very busy with life's commitments. Go over and check it out.... you too will be impressed.

Like all Asian dishes the flavours are clean and the ingredients are fresh.  This dish came together in minutes and was bursting with flavour.  A combination of salty, sweet and spicy made boring old beef mince very enjoyable and made me want to eat a lot more than what my stomach could handle.  

A good tip from Amy is to mix the beef into the rice a little so there is no plain rice is sitting by itself at the bottom - wise words.

For such a simple dish this one ticked a lot of boxes - quick, easy and jam packed with flavour.

Korean Beef Bowl

(Recipe adapted from Chew Out Loud)

Serves: 4

1 1/2 cups rice of your choice

1/4 cup Tamari (GF, reduced sodium soy sauce)

2 tablespoons pure honey

1 tablespoon toasted dark Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

500 grams extra lean ground beef 

1 cup fresh bean sprouts, to garnish

1/2 bunch coriander, chopped, to garnish

2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to garnish

toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

extra crushed chilli flakes, to garnish

Cook rice as per packet directions, drain and keep warm.

In a bowl, combine tamari, honey, sesame oil and chilli flakes.  Stir to combine well. Set aside.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat until slightly smoking. 

Add onion and garlic, stirring 2-3 minutes or until aromatic and translucent. 

Add ground beef and stir while breaking the beef up into small bits, about 1-2 minutes or until just browned. 

Add your sauce mixture and stir to combine thoroughly with beef. Continue to cook until beef is  cooked through.

Serve immediately over bowls of warm rice, gently mixing the beef into the rice a bit. Garnish as desired with bean sprouts, coriander, spring onions, sesame seed and crushed chilli flakes.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Baked Spicy Chicken Tacos

I have really been wanting Mexican for some time now but didn't want the usual boring beef tacos that are normally a mid week quick fix for dinner.  Then, as normal, I enlisted the help of my friend Google and came up with some fantastic ideas as always.

After deciding I would try baked tacos - the next decision was all about what filling I wanted.  There are so many different flavour combinations out there.  Something that everyone would eat is always the main criteria so chicken was a must.  And of course, being me, I had to add those vegetables in.  In this version I just used onion, corn, capsicum and black beans - I guess any vegetable would work though depending on your preferences.

This meal was so easy and perfect for a mid week dinner.  To make it even easier you could always used a cooked chicken from the supermarket rather than poaching the chicken yourself.  If you can save time cooking dinner during the week - go for it!

Flavours were magic - fixed my Mexican craving that's for sure.  A little spicy as I used my Homemade Taco Seasoning rather than shop brought.  However the additional cumin and garlic gave the flavours a little more depth and the lime juice added a beautiful zing.

I was pleasantly surprised at the crunchiness of the taco shells as I did expect them to sog a little and set the table with knives and forks at the ready.  No need.  This dinner was definitely finger food worthy and I am pleased to say completely all eaten... with lots of compliments from the family.

Baked Spicy Chicken Tacos

Serves: 6 - 8

4 chicken breast fillets

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 onions, diced

1 cup corn kernels

1 x 400 gram can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 red capsicum, finely diced

2 limes, juiced

2 teaspoons taco seasoning (or as desired)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

20 Stand and Stuff (flat bottomed) taco shells

2 cups grated  cheddar cheese

1½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce

2 tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

taco sauce or preferred sauce, for garnish

Trim fat off the chicken fillets and cut into 3 pieces.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil and add the chicken, salt and pepper.  Stir to ensure that the fillets do not stick together.  

Bring the water to the boil again and reduce heat to medium-low.  Allow chicken to simmer for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes add the onions.  Drain and set aside allowing to the chicken to cool.

In a large bowl mix together the corn, black beans, capsicum, lime juice, taco seasoning, cumin and garlic powder.

When chicken has cooled, shred using 2 forks or your preferred method.

Add chicken and onions to the bowl of vegetables.  Stir to combine well.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 

Arrange the taco shells inside 2 large baking dishes (not too loosely or they will fall over).

Sprinkle a little cheese into the bottom of each taco shell.

Divide the chicken mixture among the taco shells and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until tacos are warmed through and cheese is golden and melted.

Serve accompanied with lettuce, tomato and coriander.  Top with taco sauce if desired.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Fettucine Carbonara

Delicious and rich, this pasta dish makes the ultimate occasional indulgence.  I say this as it is definitely something that you wouldn't have too often for two reasons.

The first being that the flavours are so decadent and mourish that it is hard to stop at one bowl full even if you have eaten enough.

The second is that it isn't the best dish to cook if you are on a diet.  I do try and lighten up a lot of the recipes that I cook but some you just have to keep it basic and stick to the original recipes.  (However saying this I have made this one gluten free by swapping out the pasta).

My kids adore this dish - it is definitely a comfort meal and it's one that I go to as it is very quick and easy to prepare, cook and serve.

Fettucine Carbonara

Serves: 4

400 grams gluten free fettucine, or pasta of your choice

1 tablespoons olive oil

250 grams pancetta or bacon, cut into strips

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

300 ml pure cream

3 eggs

1 cup finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

1/3 cup chopped continental parsley

Boil a large saucepan full of water and cook pasta following packet directions until al dente. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. 

Add pancetta and onion. Cook for 8 minutes or until pancetta is golden. 

Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Whisk cream and eggs in a bowl. Stir in parmesan and season with salt and pepper. 

Add pancetta mixture and cream mixture to hot pasta and toss to combine. 

Stir through parsley and serve immediately sprinkled with extra parmesan.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

News Flash - I am absolutely in love with Skinnytaste - I won't lie.  It's a web site full of skinny recipes, not to mention skinny tips, that totally makes me drool while I am reading every new recipe that is uploaded.  Gina is amazing.  So if you haven't been to her site, pop on over as I am sure that you will absolutely love it.

This recipe is a Skinnytaste recipe.  One I had actually had my eye on for awhile.  Who am I kidding I want to cook everything from Skinny Taste.

Seriously though what could go wrong to tantalise the taste buds with chicken, noodles and vegetables enveloped in a spicy, crunchy, sweet and salty thick peanut sauce that was absolutely to die for.  Whilst there was a little modification from the recipe trying to make this Gluten Free friendly I don't think I have changed it a great deal.  I did omit one step as I knew my rice noodles wouldn't handle being tossed in the sauce so I just plated them up and layered the rest of the dish on top.  I originally thought I would use Korean Sweet Potato Noodles but I seriously did something wrong with them and they ended up in the bin.  

Overall this dish was enjoyed by all.  Garnished with chopped peanuts and coriander with lime wedges to enable you to add extra flavour it was definitely a winner.

Asian Peanut Chicken with Noodles

(Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste)

Serves: 6

SmartPoints per Serve: 9

For the Peanut Sauce:

1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

5 tablespoons Mathers peanut butter

1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

For the chicken:

500 grams chicken breast, cut into thin strips

salt
pepper

1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce (more or less to taste)

juice of 1/2 lime

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

200 grams rice noodles

4 spring onions, chopped

1 -1/4 cups shredded carrots

1- 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw

1 cup bean bean sprouts

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

1 lime, sliced into wedges

coriander for garnish (if desired)

Combine 1 cup chicken stock, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Boil water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile season chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

Heat a large frying pan or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.

Once the noodles are cooked, drain and toss with peanut sauce (add additional chicken stock if needed to loosen the sauce).Add chicken to the noodles and toss to combine.

To the same wok add 2 cloves crushed garlic, spring onions, carrots, broccoli slaw, bean sprouts and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.

Divide noodles and chicken between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together to hide the vegetables so your family members don’t push them aside!) and garnish with coriander, peanuts and lime wedges.

OR (as I did):

Drain noodles and spread over serving platter.

Add cooked chicken to the peanut sauce and toss to combine (add additional chicken stock if needed to loosen the sauce).

To the same wok add 2 cloves crushed garlic, spring onions, carrots, broccoli slaw, bean sprouts and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.

Add chicken mixture to vegetables and stir well to completely combine.

Once warmed through, place chicken mixture on top of noodles.  Garnish with coriander, chopped peanuts and lime wedges.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Colin Fassnidge's Lamb Bolognese

Well I have a little obsession with My Kitchen Rules (MKR) and MasterChef.  Obviously people that know me would just roll their eyes into the back of their heads reading this.  I especially love watching the celebrity chefs on both shows, saying this one of my favourite chefs is Colin Fassnidge.

I came across this recipe on Delicious.com awhile ago while doing my second favourite pastime - googling! I don't normally cook with lamb mince but intrigue by the complexity of the flavours but the simplicity of the ingredients.  So it went on my "to cook list".

Menu planning this week, which I do every Saturday morning, I decided this would be our dinner one night.  Ironically I chose Monday night.  Whilst preparing dinner and watching MKR here I stood in the kitchen stiring Colin Fassnidge's Lamb Bolognese only to be watching him on the TV!!!  (Insert school girl giggle here!!)

Anyways I wasn't wrong about this dish... it was magical and such a welcome change from the good ol' spag bol my kids have grown to hate (apparently I have gone overboard in the hiding vegetables category in the normal bolognese sauce).  Everyone enjoyed.  The texture of the lamb mince compared to using beef was a change and the use of fresh herbs lifted the sauce to another level.  A surprise ingredient was a fennel bulb which wasn't overpowering and didn't leave an aniseed taste - in fact I would say it added a little sweetness to the sauce. 

The cooking process was quite simple and once the last ingredient was added all that was left was for it to simmer and thicken.  While this was happening the house filled with the combination of the fresh herbs and tomatoes - you know what I mean - it's that welcoming smell of home cooked goodness!

Overall, a magic pasta sauce which will definitely please anyone and will be cooked again.  Thanks Colin xx

Colin Fassnidge's Lamb Bolognese

(Recipe adapted from Delicious.com)

Serves: 6

SP per serve:  9

500 grams lamb mince

2 onions, diced

1 baby fennel, diced

3 carrots, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ bunch each thyme, leaves picked and chopped

 ¼ bunch rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

¼ bunch sage, leaves picked and chopped

100ml white wine

2 cups sugo (or tomato passata)

2 cups chicken stock

salt

freshly ground black pepper

400 grams tagliatelle normal or Gluten Free

Grated Parmesan to serve, if desired

Place a large heavy-based pan over high heat. Add mince, and cook for 8 minutes or until excess liquid has evaporated, breaking up larger pieces with a spoon. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same pan, add onion, fennel and carrot. Cook 7 minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic and herbs, and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Return mince to the pan and combine.

Add wine and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add sugo and stock.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 40 minutes or until sauce has thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Drain.

When sauce is ready, serve, and top with Parmesan, if desired.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Baked Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken

Welcome to 2019!  Yes I am aware that it is nearly the end of January so I am a little behind.  To be honest, January has been a very hard and busy month with some days being unforgiving and others allowing us to create some beautiful memories.

As many of you may know, we moved house at the end of October so the last few months of 2018 were kind of busy especially working full time and trying to unpack a house in time for Christmas.  Christmas, my favourite time of the year, was held at our house this year.  It was extra special with several family members arriving from interstate and staying with us.

My mam nearly didn't make it as she is battling (and kicking arse) with Breast Cancer.  She was diagnosed in August and has several operations to remove the tumour, which we have been told was a success.  To ensure that all the gremlins are out of her body her doctor advised that she undergo Chemotherapy more as a preventative measure rather than a treatment.  The chemo sessions were fast tracked and she actually didn't know if she would get to spend Christmas in Melbourne with us.  However mam underwent her first chemo on the 19th December in Brisbane and arrived in Melbourne on the 20th.  She looked fantastic, she was in good spirits and somewhat good heath during her visit.  The chemo didn't really hit her that hard (as you hear horror stories from other people's journeys) but her visit was only short due to having to return to Queensland for her 2nd chemo session on the 7th January.

Not only was my mam with us for Christmas and the New Year but as was my gorgeous sister Clare and niece Charlie.  They live in Sydney and came down for a few weeks, spending most of the time with her's and Noel's parents, but as she does every year celebrates New Years with us.  We also had the pleasure of having my Aunty Maggie, who lives in Anna Bay (near Newcastle, NSW).  Aunty Maggie and I are both January babies with her birthday being on the 7th and mine being on the 8th.  This special year my Aunty turned 80 and even though we haven't celebrated our birthday's together for many years - we did this year and it was beautiful to be able to do so.

Needless to say with everything going on in December and January, I have had to focus on me and my family.  A little selfish but I am sure, totally understandable.  Saying this the house as we know it is starting to return to some sort of normality and while I didn't stop cooking during our absence I am truly looking forward to getting back in to trying new dishes and sharing them with you all.

This said, I had been dying to try this recipe not only due to simple mention of a Jalapeño Poppers but because it's ingredients including several of my favourite foods - bacon, cheese and Jalapeños!  Not to mention it being stuffed chicken dish.  I love cutting into a chicken kiev or really any stuffed chicken dish and watching the fillings ooze out... mmmmmm.

Speaking of Jalapeño Poppers here a few of our favourites:

• Italian Sausage and Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
• Sweet and Sour Jalapeno Poppers

This dish, as mentioned, is flavoursome due to the bacon, two types of cheese and the ever popular Jalapeño.  The flavours literally melted together and produced this creamy filling the tantalised the taste buds. The coating was crisp and laced with mixed herbs.  I used Gluten Free rice crumbs but you could use normal bread crumbs or even Panko for extra crispiness.  To get the coating to stick to the chicken a combination of lime juice and olive oil did the job perfectly.

Jalapeños, like all chillis, are very interesting as you never know the intensity of the heat that they will produce.  Removing the seeds and the membranes does reduce the heat associated with chillis but then sometimes you just get a bloody hot chilli with or without the seeds and membrane!

Rolling up this parcel of goodness was a little fiddly.  To be honest I probably put too much filling in considering a few of my chicken breast fillets were a little small.  But overall not upset as I created a nice sauce also to serve on the side.

Everyone enjoyed the combination of flavours, the textures and the overall dish.  Every mouthfull was creamy, smoky, and spicy laced with lime and herb crumbs.  Well worth the effort - thank you Gina for sharing this and many more "Skinny Taste" recipes.

Baked Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken

(Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Serves: 4

SmartPoints per serve: 6

cooking spray

100 grams center cut bacon

4 skinless chicken breast fillets

2 spring onions, finely sliced

3 jalapeños, chopped (remove seeds for milder)

85 grams reduced fat cream cheese, softened

110 grams reduced fat grated tasty cheese

1/2 cup Gluten Free rice crumbs

2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

1 1/2 juicy limes, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place one chicken fillet between two pieces of grease proof paper and using a kitchen mallet or rolling bin flatten until each is of an even thickness.

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Spray with cooking spray and cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan to cool.

Finely slice spring onions.

Finely dice jalapenos, removing seeds and membranes if you prefer a milder heat.

Place cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapeño and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl.

Mix well to combine.

Lay chicken fillets on a working surface and evening spread the cream cheese mixture on each fillet.

Loosely roll each one, secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent the cheese from oozing out.

Place breadcrumbs and mixed herbs in a bowl.  Mix well.

In a second bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture.

Then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down on a baking dish.

Repeat with the remaining chicken.

When finished, lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray.

Bake 22-25 minutes, serve immediately.

Serve with 0 SP salad, if desired.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

Broccoli and Bacon Carbonara

Everyone has that one go to dish, right?  You know that one dish that just comes together, is easy and plates up perfectly and more importantly everyone enjoys.  Hubby's dish that always works is Nice Chicken, my mam's is always Shepherd's Pie and mine is Maple Mustard Chicken however the kids will say that it's Pasta Carbonara and the only reason I say this is because everytime I ask them what they would like for dinner I get the same answer - Pasta Carbonara!

I have to be truthful - it's not my most favourite pasta dish.. I prefer tomato based sauces laced with chilli and bolder flavours to be perfectly truthful however when it comes to risottos - the creamier the better.  But that's another story....

Tonight I decided to try a recipe that both hubby and I thought would not only be different but full of nice flavours.  It's a total spin on Pasta Carbonara with a creamy broccoli and cheese sauce instead the normal Carbonara sauce (which is basically eggs, cheese and cream).  Crispy bacon batons and broccoli florets made for a visually pleasing dish also.

An easy dish to make and was on the table in just under 45 minutes I thought this would of been a hit.  Both hubby and I thought it was nice although we both added crushed chilli flakes to ours, one child thought it was "ok" but main Carbonara lover said it was horrible!  I'm actually thinking if I didn't call it Broccoli and Bacon Carbonara and just named it Broccoli and Bacon Pasta would there have been a different mind set??

Broccoli and Bacon Carbonara

(Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au)

Serves: 6

SmartPoints per serve: 15

500 grams gluten free pasta or pasta of your choice

2 large head broccoli, cut into florets

1 small garlic clove, chopped

70 grams Parmesan, finely grated

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

300 mls light thickened cream

4 eggs

cooking spray

300 grams short cut bacon, cut into batons

additional Parmesan to serve

Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions until tender. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Return pasta and reserved liquid to pan.

Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of boiling salted water to the boil over high heat. Add broccoli. Simmer for 4 minutes or until tender crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Refresh under cold running water. Pat dry.

Process half of the broccoli, garlic, half the cheese and oil in a food processor until smooth. Season. 

Whisk cream, eggs and remaining cheese in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Cook bacon, stirring, for 6 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Stir broccoli mixture, extra broccoli florets and 3/4 of the bacon into pasta. Add cream mixture. Toss until well combined. 

Sprinkle with remaining bacon and extra cheese.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Echidna Meatballs aka Porcupine Meatballs

Well I definitely surprised myself while menu planning this week!  Not because we planned a full week of super quick and easy meals to get us to Friday as we have a busy week but I was surprised, actually stunned, that I hadn't blogged this gem of a recipe!  And I cannot even begin to think why?

My mam had a variety of homestyle dishes that she cooked as staples when we were growing up as did everyone's mothers.  Ours always had a British twist as although we were living in Australia my parents were born and raised in Wales.  So we had Shepherds Pie, Bangers and Mash with Onion Gray, Lamb Stew, Curry Pie, Toad in the Hole and of course, Eggs Beans and Chips.  These were the meals that were regularly on the table and we all enjoyed them.  I can tell you that there were never any leftovers when these went on our table.  In fact I still get a little excited if I know any of these dishes are what we are having for dinner.

However, my kids, have had to deal with me creating my own list of family favourite dinners.  As easy go to meals especially during the working week items that can be found on the menu planner can include Hamburgers, Taco's, Penne Boscaiola, Devilled Sausages, homemade pizza (your choice of topping), Chicken Parmagiana, Echidna Meatballs and of course, Eggs Beans and Chips.

I understand many of you may have or not had any of the dishes I have just mentioned so just for the record Toad in the Hole does not contain any toads, Porcupine Meatballs do not contain any porcupine meat and Echidna Meatballs definitely do not contain any Echidna meat.  Are we clear?  I am happy now that we have that sorted!

Firstly this recipe is based on Porcupine Meatballs, an American dish that has apparently been a staple for generations.  As we live in Australia I changed the name to Echidna meatballs based on the fact that we don't have Porcupines down under.  The Echidna, or Spiny Anteater, is the equivalent to it's Northern Hemisphere counterpart.

So what is an Echidna meatball?  Basically its a beef meatball with raw white rice added during the mixing stage.  Once the meatballs start cooking the rice starts protruding from the meat.  This resembles a Echidna or a Porcupine.  It's quite a groovy cooking technique and look pretty cool, especially if you are a kid.

Echidna meatballs are a very comforting and easy dish to make. The tender meatballs flavoured with herbs are cooked in a delicious tomato sauce.  There is no need to brown up the meatballs prior as they keep their shape well.  Note there is not a lot of stirring required during cooking so please do not be tempted to continually stir as you will ruin the effectiveness of the rice poking from the meatball.

Like with most hand me down recipes, googles or cookbook searches you will find a multitude of different versions all claiming to the best.  This recipe is nice, tasty and very easy but is it the best?  We think so but I am unsure.  Many use canned tomato soup but we find that using a can of condensed soup seems to make the sauce very sweet.  We prefer to add some diced fresh tomatoes along with canned and passata.  Add some chilli flakes if you wish to spice up the tomato sauce or even some different herbs.  Its a great recipe to experiment with also.

This is a perfect one pot weeknight wonder, even more so for me tonight as the man of the house, Noel, cooked dinner.  It was wonderful to come home from work and smell the deliciousness as I opened the front door.

Serve with mashed potato or plain pasta and I am sure your family will love them.

Echidna Meatballs aka Porcupine Meatballs

Serves: 4

SmartPoints per Serve: 7

500 grams lean beef mince

1/3 cup raw long grain rice

1 teaspoon beef stock powder

salt

ground black pepper

1 egg white 

4 fresh truss tomatoes, diced

350 ml Italian passata

1 x 440g can diced tomatoes

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup water

2 teaspoons chicken stock powder 

2 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chilli flakes (optional)

In a mixing bowl add mince, rice, stock powder and egg white. Season with salt and pepper.  Using your hand, mix all ingredients together until combined.  Shape into twelve even sized meatballs.

Place the tomatoes, passata, canned tomatoes, onion, water, chicken stock powder, garlic, oregano and chilli, if using, in a flameproof casserole dish or heavy based frying pan (with a lid). Mix well and bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Gently place meatballs in tomato sauce.

Put lid on casserole dish and gently simmer for 1 hour, stirring occassionally, until meatballs are cooked and rice is protruding.

Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta (add SP as required).

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Stir Fried Garlic Chilli and Basil Chicken with Rice Noodles

Late in 2017 we, as a family, were faced with a challenge!  Our son's partner was diagnosed with having Coeliac disease therefore meaning we would have to change the way we cook a variety of foods to accommodate this.  It has never been thought of by any of us as a problem or an issue.  As unexciting as having a disease can be we all decided that this would be easy and that with a few changes here and there we can all still enjoy food and cooking without compromising tastes etc.

So just incase you are unawares Coeliac disease is where the immune system reacts abnormally to gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats), causing small bowel damage. People with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten throughout their life, so in this sense they are never cured. However, a strict gluten free diet does allow the condition to be managed effectively.  A strict, lifelong gluten free diet is currently the only recognised medical treatment for Coeliac disease. By removing the cause of the disease, a gluten free diet allows the small bowel lining to heal and symptoms to resolve. As long as the gluten free diet is strictly adhered to, problems arising from Coeliac disease should not return. Relapse occurs if gluten is reintroduced into the diet. Coeliac disease affects on average approximately 1 in 70 Australians. However, around 80% of this number remain undiagnosed. This means the vast majority of Australians who have Coeliac disease don’t yet know it.

I remember years ago upon first learning of all these allergies, such as gluten, dairy, fructose, and thinking to myself "oh that poor person - they must miss out on so many things".  The fact of the matter is years ago they did miss out on so many things.  Years ago it was hard to find suitable safe things to eat so they did go without.  Today however the world is far more aware of these allergies and diseases and "special" foods are more readily available.

To be honest I am surprise how easy it is to omit gluten from some meals that we cook - others have been challenging but it's all about learning.  Learning to change, experimenting with other ingredients and ideas whilst trying not to compromise the taste.  I will put my hand up right now though and admit I do not like working with Gluten Free frozen pastry - it sucks big time and my quiche failed completely.  LOL!  I am sure that there will be more interesting adventures with foods....

Anyhow I have to say that a stir fry is always a quick option for dinner especially after a busy working day.  Thankfully rice and rice noodles are Gluten Free along with many other Asian ingredients these days. I substituted the soy sauce in the original recipe for Gluten Free soy sauce but obviously if you are not on a Gluten Free diet you could just normal soy sauce.

When it comes to cooking Asian meals at the House of Murray it's all about finding that flavour - you now the flavours that will be different, tempt the tastebuds from the first mouthful and the dish that you just want to keep eating even though you are full.  Everyone knows this desire.... mmmm.

This recipe does that.  The flavours of the garlic, chilli and fresh basil coupled with the fresh vegetables, tender chicken and the soft rice noodles was magic.  Drizzled with fresh lime juice the taste was so vibrant and the crunchiness of the beanshoots and sesame seeds just made every mouthful enjoyable.  I also did not have Thai basil at the time so substituted this with normal basil and while it wasn't as spicy as the Thai variety it was still very pungent.

Talk about a mouthful of freshness...  I am sure that you will enjoy this as much as we did.

Stir Fried Garlic, Chilli and Basil Chicken with Rice Noodles

(Recipe sourced from Weight Watchers Australia)

Serves: 4

SmartPoints per Serve: 4

500 grams lean chicken breast, fat trimmed, thinly sliced

2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1 whole fresh red chilli, finely chopped, plus extra to serve

1/4 cup Gluten Free soy sauce

140 grams dry rice noodles

cooking spray

2 medium red onion, sliced

1 medium Capsicum, red, raw, thinly sliced

300 grams snow peas, halved lengthways

70 grams fresh bean sprouts

1 cup fresh Thai basil or basil plus extra to serve

1 medium fresh lime, cut into cheeks

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Combine chicken, garlic, chilli and half the soy sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender, drain. Set aside.

Heat a large wok over medium-high heat and lightly spray with oil. Stir-fry onion and capsicum for 2 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.

Reheat wok and stir-fry chicken in 2 batches for 2-3 minutes or until cooked. Return onion, capsicum and chicken to the wok.

Add snow peas, bean sprouts, basil, noodles and remaining soy sauce. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until heated through and cooked.

Serve garnished with extra basil.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)