TIPS TO MAKE YOUR FOOD GO FURTHER

Serve casseroles or stews in bread rolls Chicken on the bone is cheaper than chicken breasts or tenderlions . Make every single meal you cook , feed you twice , any leftover meat can be diced and fried with vegetables, noodles or rice. A roast chicken one day can be a stir-fry the next day and use the bones to flavour a chicken soup . Keep all leftovers , store them in a lidded container in the refrigerator . Serve leftovers the next day with extra vegetables and mix them with some mashed potato and have bubble and squeak as a meal . Freeze bulk meats in family sized meal serves . Serve dishes that are filling and low cost , mince , sausages , beans, mashed potato pasta or noodles . Keep a section in your refrigerator for your 'must use foods', you know the ones that are reaching their use by date or vegetables that are starting to wilt , and maybe plan a meal around what ingredients you have in that section. Remember when you throw out bought items you are literally throwing money away . Bulk your meals up with vegetables, try adding a handful of oats to your casseroles/ stews . Eat till you are no longer hungry , not till you are uncomfortably full, keep an eye on your serving sizes . No matter how big or small your yard is , you can grow a selection or herbs in plastic tubs. Herbs are perennial, so once you have planted and got them growing , you will always have them to flavour your cooked foods and salads , each time you pick a sprig or a stem of the herb , you are prunning the plant and stimulating its growth .

STIR FRIED CHILLI CABBAGE WITH BAKED BEANS .

Chop half a small cabbage finely , removing the core . Fry the cabbage in a pan with 4 tbs of canola oil along with 3 tbs of minced garlic and 1 large onion peeled and thinly sliced , cook until the vegetables soften and are tender . Add 1 tbs of soy sauce and chilli to taste . Finally add 1 can of baked beans . Continue to cook until the beans are hot . This is delicious .

ALTERNATIVES FOR FANCY PANTS INGREDIENTS (2)

17.Milk has many replacement options, 1:1 evaporated milk and water, 1:1 mix of cream and water ,mix 1/2 cup of sour cream with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 tsp of sugar . 18.In place of brown onions you can use red onions, leeks, shallots or white onions . Your other option is onion powder, found in the spice section in your supermarket. 19.Potatoes can be substituted with sweet potatoes and pumpkin or vise versa. 20.Rice can be substituted with barley, buckwheat and quinoa .... 21.Salmon can be replaced with tuna, trout or bass . 22.OMG , you have no self raising flour , don't panic ... Add 1 dsp of baking to 1 cup of all purpose flour (plain flour ). 23.In place of soy sauce use fish sauce or worcestershire sauce with a little water. 24. Chilli sauce can be easily prepared by mixing together 1 tbs of sugar, 1 tbs of vinegar with 1 dsp of cayenne pepper . 25. Out of soft brown sugar ? Mix together 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tbs of golden syrup . 26.White sugar can be substituted with Stevia, Equal, honey, sweet sherry, fruit puree. 27.Passatta can be replaced with stewed tomatoes, tomato paste mixed with a little water or condensed tomato soup. 28.Tuna can be replaced with salmon, bass, swordfish. 29. Use lemon juice, lime juice or dry white wine in place of vinegar. 30.Substitute red wine with beef stock or chicken and vegetable stock in place of white wine. 31.If you have no yoghurt, use sour cream instead.

ALTERNATIVES FOR FANCY PANTS INGREDIENTS .(1)

Here are some easily accessible substitutions with day to day ingredients and ways to make simple ingredients rather than buying them. 1. Always buy generic brands. 2.Bacon is a great substitute for ham, smoked sausage or pancetta. 3.Breadcrumbs , these are easy to make . If you only have fresh bread, place slices of bread in a preheated oven 180 deg C for 15 minutes, then tear up the dried slices and pulse in the procesor. Cornflakes and rice bubbles can be crushed up. Rolled oats can be processed to a fine crumb. Also use crushed potato chips , crushed dry crackers, desiccated coconut, finely crushed nuts. 4.An obvious substitue for butter is margarine. 5.If a recipe requires buttermilk, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 dsp of lemon juice or vinegar. 6.Cauliflower is a great substitute for brocoli in texture, flavour and vitamins. 7.Coconut , flaked , dried or shredded is a great substitute for fresh coconut . 8.You can make your own condensed milk by combining 1 cup of powdered milk with 3/4 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix well until well combined and store in the refrigerator, this makes the equivalent of 1 x 395 gm can of condensed milk. 9.Cream can be replaced with evaporated milk, thickened with a little cornflour. Another substitute for cream is 3:1 ratio of full cream milk and butter/marg. Other cream replacements could be, sour cream, Greek yoghurt, cream cheese. 10.Cream cheese can be substituted with cottage cheese or ricotta and can be beaten to desired texture. 11.Eggs can be substituted with 1 tbs of custard powder (per egg)or 1 small mashed banana in sweet recipes. For savoury dishes substitute eggs with 2 tbs of cornflour ( per egg), chia seeds are a great substitute for eggs in either sweet or savoury dishes .( Combine 1 tbs of chia seeds in 1 cup of water and let it sit for 15 minutes, this makes a perfect 1:1 egg ratio ). 12.You can substitute evaporated milk with light cream. 13.Fresh garlic / ginger can be substituted with a dry powder or in a minced form. 14.Honey can be substituted with golden syrup , treacle or molasses. 15.Fresh herbs can be substituted with dry or packaged herbs. 16.Substitute mayonannaise with sour cream of plain yoghurt.

ECCLES MINCE PIES

Make fruit mince . 1. Cup (150gm )raisins 1. cup of (160gm )dried currants and the same with sultanas 1. slice (35gm)of dried pineapple 2. tbs glace cherries 1/4 cup (40gm )blanched almonds 1. large green apple (200gm )grated coarsely Process the dried fruits and nuts until coarsley chopped . Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Str in .... 1/2 cup (110gm )of soft brown sugar , 50 gm of melted butter/ marg ,1 tbs of finely grated orange rind ,1/4 cup (60ml)orange juice , 1/4 cup (60ml)of brandy , 1/2 tsp of mixed spice . refrigerate , covered for at least 2 days , stirring daily . Fruit mince will last for 12 months in an airtight container in the refrigerator . Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Line a baking tray with baking paper . Cut 1 sheet of puff pastry into 9 squares . Top each square with a tsp of fruit mince . Brush pastry edges with lightly beaten egg whites . Gather sides of pastry together to enclose filling . Turn pies upside down onto the baking tray . Gently flatten pies , use a fork to pierce the pastry . Brush pies with egg whites and lightly sprinkle with castor sugar . Bake pies for 15 minutes or until golden .

THE MANOR BACK YARD

The Manor fruit trees are very pregnant with fruit.....there are tomatoes and passionfruit growing , the rhubard is nearly there . I love my roses . My productive back yard is about sharing and having the freshest produce to cook with .

PORK FILLET WITH FRESH OREGANO AND PROSCIUTTO

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Slice your for fillets into 4 ( approx 200gm each ). You will need 12 long sprigs of fresh oregano , luckily I grow all my my own herbs . Now carefully wrap 3 sprigs of oregano and 3 paper thin slices of proscuitto around each pork fillet . Heat a good glug of oil in a fry pan and add the 4 pork fillets . Cook over a high heat to brown the pork .Do not wash the pan , just set aside . Then transfer the pork fillets to an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes . Add 125 ml ( 1/2 cup of white wine ) to the pan to deglaze . Bring the wine to the boil , scraping the pan to lift any sediment . Add 185 ml of chicken stock ( 3/4 cup )and 3 tbs of worcestershire sauce and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half . Place your pork fillets on the serving plates and and pour the sauce over them . Accompany with roast sweet pumpkin and whole roast beetroot or alternatively with mashed potato and beans or asparagus . enjoy .