Lazy Beef Satay

The original version of this recipe was for a satay marinade, and (from memory) consisted of:
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs oil
3 tbs ketchup
3 tbs peanut butter

Well, I never used it as a marinade, but decided to turn it into a sauce instead of using a packet mix for beef satay (one of my favourites - yum!) So this is what I made for dinner tonight (serves 5-6.)

1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 capsicum, thinly sliced
650g beef minced
1 tbs sweet soy sauce (ketcap manis)
3 tbs tomato sauce
3 tbs crunchy peanut butter
1 tbs curry powder (to taste)
500g frozen mixed vegetables
rice to serve

Saute the onion and capsicum in the oil, then brown the mince. While that is browning, mix the sauce.
3 tbs crunchy peanut butter. I just used a generic brand, and am generous with this recipe. I use the Australian Metric measures (20ml tbs) and don't mind if it's rounded ;)

1 tbs sweet soy sauce (ketcap manis) - the original recipe implied the more typically known soy sauce, but since this is supposed to be an Indonesian dish, I use the Indonesian variety of soy sauce (which is also yummier, though thicker.) er... I also ended up using 3 tbs sweet soy sauce, so the dish ended up being a bit sweeter than usual. That will teach me to measure without thinking about what I'm measuring :o

3 tbs tomato sauce - not puree, but more like ketchup.

Because I'm a lazy cook, I freeze my mince in meal-portions (not the lazy part, just smart) and then just dump the frozen meat straight into the frying pan. It takes a bit longer, but I'm not hovering over the pan, so I'm fine with that.

I have to be quite generous with my curry powder, as it's *really* (really!) weak. I would easily use 1-2 tbs of the stuff. I need to get some more, and not buy that brand again. (Some generic brand mild curry powder, I think. Some things are better in a brand name.)
Brown off the powder a little, till it's aromatic, then mix the powder in with the sauce. (That way you don't get unevenly flavoured mince.)

I add extra water to extend the sauce, and to ensure the vegetables have a little something to cook in. Also, it seems to make the sauce creamier than without. I just use the original bowl I mixed the sauce in for the water, so that I can scrape the last of the ingredients in.

At this point, I just cook it until the vegetables are done - 10 or so minutes. When the vegetables are done to taste, serve over hot rice.

If you want to make this gluten free, you pretty much just need to watch the soy and tomato sauces.

Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So I had some bananas going bad in my fridge, which is just such a shame - don't you think? What to do? What to do? I know - Hummingbird Cake! (Insert evil laugh here.) (Wipe drool - sorry.)

This is what is left after 2 days. Actually, less now :D

Hummingbird Cake

So... Grab your 23cm x 30cm roasting pan or 9" x 13" baking pan (as the case may be) and line it with some baking paper while setting the oven to 180C (approx 360F.)
You will need
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour OR 1 1/2 cups plain flour, and 3 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar (I don't press down, but suit yourself)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sultanas ('cause - hey! extra fruit!)
3 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter
2 cups mashed bananas (I used 3 really(!) ripe, medium-sized ones)
1/2 cup undrained crushed pineapple

Mix the flour (and baking powder, if needed) sugar, cinnamon, and sultanas, and set aside.
Mix the eggs, butter, banana, and pineapple.
I've found it better to dump the dry onto the wet in this sort of recipe, since you want to be quick with the mixing, and this way you don't get flour hiding at the bottom of the bowl when you pour it into the pan. So mix - pretend it's muffin batter - and pour into your lined pan, then bake at 180C/360F. This took me 30 minutes, but my oven tends to be a little slow, so start checking after 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing

250g cream cheese, softened
80g butter
2 tsp vanilla
500g icing sugar

Mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the vanilla, then the icing sugar. (I used a icing mixture, but pure icing sugar is fine, and gluten free, as the packet proudly proclaims.) I didn't use all the icing last time I made this, so I still have some left over (threw it into a ziploc bag, and put it in the freezer before I ate it all) but I don't think I would bother next time - it wasn't that much, and it spreads well over the cake.

You should get about 24 serves from this cake - about 5cm x 5cm squares (2" x 2".) Not an overpowering flavour, but very nice.

Learning to Cook

I don't really remember much about learning to cook. What I remember is, at age 10, being told to go upstairs and put the sausages on and start the potatoes. By age 14 I was the Chief Cook and Bottle-Washer, as Mum was working full-time, and was pregnant/had a baby, who turned out to be intolerant of cows milk, and required soy milk. And not the nice, neat soy formula you can get now. My 24yo brother was on tinned, concentrated soy milk that stained everything it came in contact with, before, during and after consumption.
Anyway, I want all my children to know how to cook before they leave home, and to be good at it. I want them to be confident that they can cook healthy, tasty meals from whatever they have, and also to be able to plan weekly menus to look after themselves and their respective families. So Bethy is learning to cook.
These photos came from a recent foray into the kitchen.

Having peeled the potatoes (because they had green skins) she is now carefully cutting them into chunks for mashed potatoes.

Carefully adding them to the boiling water.

I bought 'rissoles' from the butcher - they were cheap, but not something i really like to buy regularly.

Mashing the potato. Bethy wanted Vege Mash, which is something I started years ago to get the children to eat their vegetables. Simply make your mashed potatoes (butter, milk, cheese - yum!) and then stir in your steamed mixed vegetables. Of course, this won't work if you have a fussy child that can't abide things touching other things. I understand it happens, but thankfully none of mine are like that.

Drain the rissoles on paper for a few minutes before serving.

And I didn't do a thing. Just gave directions when she asked.

Tonight she made Tuna Casserole while I was shopping. Which involved several phone calls ;) I made her wait until I got home before adding the milk to the roux, as hubby has absolutely no idea, and he was the responsible-parent-at-home. The onions were a little ... caramelised ... but that was ok. It just gave a little more flavour to the sauce. The eggs were perfect! Hard-boiled without being rubbery, and no green rings around the yolks. I had been very clear about the cooking of the eggs (wait till they come to the boil, boil 10 minutes, remove from the heat and immediately drain the hot water, cover with cool water, and replace the water when it got too hot) and she did them perfectly. I let her know, as I was cutting them, that they were, indeed, perfect.
Unfortunately, there were no left-overs. Sigh...