Satay Chicken (slow cooker)

This one is loosely based on one that I think came from a FlyLady email.

12 skinless chicken thighs
3 tbs soy sauce
4-6 cloves garlic (crushed)
1tsp powdered ginger
3 tsp oil
2 tbs chilli sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter

Combine all the sauce/marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well - except for peanut butter. Toss halved chicken thighs in mixture to coat thoroughly.
Pour everything into lightly greased slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from dish and stir in peanut butter and
2tbs cornflour dissolved in 2 tbs water.
Return chicken to the pot and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Serves 6 with rice.

Swiss Steak (slow cooker recipe)

Antotehr in my series of family favourites. I think this one came from the aussie slow cookers group on yahoo. Thank you to whoever added it!


Swiss Steak

1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
750g diced beef/steak
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 small (440g) tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
2 tbs brown sugar

Toss steak in flour, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper.
Saute onion, cerely and carrot together in a frypan (or skip this step if short on time)
Place everything into the slow cooker and mix it well.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.***

Great served with mashed potoatoes and green vegetables.

*** Just remember not all slow cookers are created equal. The latest generation of slow cookers tend to cook hotter and faster than the older models. Make sure you test drive any new recipes on a day that you will be home. Then you'll know what timing and settings work for you!

Pasta Mince Casserole

This is the first in a new series of family favourite recipes - a lot of friends have been asking me for these as well as some of my favourite slow cooker recipes. it seems a few of my friends got slow cookers for Mother's Day and now need new recipes for them.
This one is an oven recipe that my Mum gave me - it is in her handwriting in an old diary. It was one of her very practical gifts to me, early on in my married life.
This one is also great to make up the night before, but don't put it in the oven till the next day. Also makes great leftovers and freezes well.

Pasta Mince Casserole
1 large onion (diced)
500g topside mince
3/4 cup grated carrot
2 medium tomatoes (chopped) or 1/2 tin drained chopped tomatoes
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 cups shell or elbow macaroni (cooked for about 7 mins)
2 cups grated tasty cheese
1 440g can cream of mushroom/celery soup or cream of soup replacement (see below)

Method
Little oil in a pan.
Add onion to meat, stir over high heat until lightly browned
Add carrot, Worcestershire sauce and chopped tomatoes.
Then add can of soup (or substitute), stir until heated through.
Grease a long casserole dish.
Place a layer of macaroni.
Layer of cheese.
Layer of mince mixture.
Continue until you finish with a cheese layer.
Cook for a bout 35 mins at about 180c, until cooked and lightly browned on top.

Not sure which website I got this recipe from but it worked well as a replacement for the tinned soup! Thank you to whoever it was :)

Condensed cream of chicken soup
1.5 cups homemade chicken stock
1 small onion finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tbs fresh parsley (1/4 tsp dried)
dash of paprika
1.5 cups reduced fat milk
0.75 cup plain flour


Method
Boil together stock, 0.5 cup milk and the seasonings for 3-5 minutes.
In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining milk and flour until smooth. Add tot he boiling stock mixture and continue whisking until the mix boils and thickens.
Mixture should be cooled and then refrigerated or frozen in portions.
Make approx 3 cups.
1.5 cups is roughly the equivalent of a 440g tin of condensed soup.

Chocolate Truffles (UPDATED)

I've had these twice over the past month at two separate Tupperware parties. I wanted to just post the link to the Tupperware Recipe page, but seems they are redesigning it right now so I am posting it here instead! Thought these would make a great Mother's Day gift or you could serve them with coffee at a mothers day meal :)

Tuppertruffles

Ingredients

50g walnuts or hazelnuts
300g dark cooking chocolate
100g good quality dark eating chocolate
25g copha (OR BUTTER)

Fudge centre
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbs orange liqueur
1/4 tsp finely grated orange rind or few drops of orange essence
1 tbs dessicated coconut

cocoa for dusting

Method

1. Toast nuts on a microwave proof lid/plate in the microwave for 2 mins on 650w (medium high). Set aside to cool slightly. To remove the brown skins of the hazelnuts, place in a clean tea towel and rub together. Roughly chop the nuts and set aside.
2. Place the roughly chopped chocolate into a microwave proof jug. Grate the copha/butter and add to the jug. Microwave for two minutes on 650w (medium high), until softened but not all melted. Keep gently stirring until all the chocolate melts.
3. Place the sweetened condensed milk, liqueur, orange rind, coconut and nuts into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate mix from step 2. Stir well until the mix become thick and fudge like.
4. Carefully spoon just enough melted chocolate to cover the base of your ice cube tray. top with approximately 1/2 tsp of the fudge mix. Spoon over a little more melted chocolate to encase the fudge centre.
5. Refrigerate or freeze the ice cube tray for 15-30 minutes or until set. Twist the tray to release the chocolate. Arrange artfully on a plate and dust lightly with cocoa before serving.

Notes:

*I used the Tupperware ice cube trays for these, but I have made other chocolates using other brands of ice cube trays - just as long as they are deep trays these will work.
* Truffles will keep for up to two weeks in a sealed container, in the pantry. In hot weather it is best to keep them refrigerated.
* Using milk or white chocolates in place of the dark will also work, but be sure to use 500w (medium) when melting these.
* Nuts can be substituted with dried fruit snipped into small pieces. Adding a whole hazelnut to the centre would also be nice.
* We doubled the quantity of orange liqueur and the taste was still very subtle.
* Butter worked well in place of the copha although the chocolates do melt a bit quicker in your fingers, unfortunately this means you will have to either eat them quickly or lick your fingers! How unfortunate!

Be warned you can really only eat one of these, they are very rich and very chocolaty!

Thank you

I just wanted to say a belated thank you to all the people who have visited me in the past week, both the new visitors and also my regular ones (You know who you are - most of your blogs are in my sidebar). All that positive feedback makes it all worth it. Some days I think it is all too hard, but then I remember why I try to live that way I do.
Because it makes me happy and as Rhonda said today I am part of the kitchen sink revolution! Go read her great post here and join us on our frugal and sustainable journey.
I value each and every comment I receive and read them all, even if I don't get time to comment on all of them!
Please keep visiting and leave a comment if you like :)
If you'd like me to add your blog to my favourites list then leave me a comment :) I know there are a lot out there that I read and then forget to add them to my list. Plus if you have any favourites why not share then with us.
I've also got some new recipes to share this coming week so I hope you like them.
Thanks again.
-hugs-
Lis