Tag: winter warmers

• 

  PK’s Savoury Mince And Potatoes

  A favourite since childhood, this is simple food that couldn’t be easier to cook. By now you probably know that I think ‘peasant’ food is best.

  It freezes very well and what’s more, you can eat it by itself or stretch it out using rice, bread, noodles or other starchy sides. One of my favourites is savoury mince and cheddar in a toasted sandwich.

  I think this recipe has a couple of standard ingredients and then add whatever you like extra. Have fun and experiment :).

  What are the essentials?

  • beef mince
  • potatoes
  • carrot
  • onion
  • garlic
  • chicken or beef stock (try Italian Beef Stock: Brodo Di Manzo)
  • herbs like oregano, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves
  • tomatoes or tomato paste
  • pepper and salt to taste.

  I also add red wine (boil it off of course) and anything else I have in my pantry or fridge that needs using.

  Par-boil your potatoes:

  

  Prepare your vegetables:

  

  Sauté the onion in some olive oil:

  Add the mince (browning it), herbs and stock (if using red wine bring to the boil) and then simmer until it is all reduced down to your liking:

  This is the consistency I aim for:

  

  Oh so tasty tonight and for tomorrow’s lunch:

  I hope you like it,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  November 14, 2016

• 

  Dr C’s Roast Onion and Pumpkin Pizzas

  My scrumptious roasted onion and pumpkin pizzas with spinach and crumbled feta.

  

  

  Simply mouth watering,

  Dr C.

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 10, 2016

• 

  PK’s Simple Nachos

  This is one of my favourite family meals. Everyone gets their own dish of the nacho base and once these come out of the oven, we put our favourite toppings on.

  The secret to making awesome nachos is to layer the corn chips then some nacho sauce then some cheddar cheese and repeat. Pop them in a say 180 °C until the cheese has melted and that is it.

  There is only one other rule to making awesome nachos: Sour Cream!

  Magic 🙂

  

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Pair this with my guacamole (see PK’s You..Can’t.. Handle..The..Gwock).

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 6, 2016

• 

  Super Quick Home-made Pizza Snacks

  Winter is trying to get back at Perth at the moment and although the sun is out, we are getting cold winds and rain. This makes for chilly evenings, so my family fought back with these really easy pizzas.

  Steps:

  1. Make or buy your pizza bases and sauces.
  2. Spread the sauce over the pizza bases.
  3. Layer your pizza with your favourite toppings. My secret is to put any leafy greens on top of the sauce but under the cheese. It stops them drying out but you didn’t hear it from me :).
  4. Whack them in the oven on hot and fast until golden brown.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more pizza posts and thrifty cooking ideas: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 25, 2016

• 

  PK’S Easy Oven Baked Potatoes

  Perfectly crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle, baked potatoes are perfect for a Perth winter night. This is a great meal for enjoying with friends and family. You can build your own topping as you go so it is very family/guest friendly. There is nothing better than eating with your hands as you chat away.

  I suggest 1.5 medium potatoes per adult and a few more for tomorrow’s lunch.

  Everyone has their favourite potato variety that you must use for baked potatoes. However, I have found that you can make perfect oven baked potatoes from most varieties.

  STEPS:

  1. Prepare and cook the potatoes
  2. Prepare your toppings
  3. Serving

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • your favourite potatoes
    • table salt
    • ground black pepper
    • your favourite toppings, sauces and condiments.
  • Equipment
    • paper towel
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • an oven dish or oven rack
    • several plates to serve the toppings

   

  Prepare and cook the potatoes

  Steps:

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
  2. Scrub each potato to remove dirt, eyes and  deeper imperfections.
  3. Dry them thoroughly using the paper towel, this is important for the crispy finish.
  4. Spray each potato with olive oil spray and dust them liberally with salt and pepper.
  5. Pop them on the oven rack (or oven dish) making sure there is space between them.
  6. Cook for about 1 hour (longer depending on your oven or if you are using really big potatoes). I test the largest potato at this stage. If it is ready the others are too.

  Before:

  

  After:

  

  Prepare your toppings

  Steps:

  1. Harvest, chop, slice and gather your favourite toppings
  2. Put them on plates in the middle of the table so your guests can build their own potato.

  Here is what I used. Sour cream, cheese and coleslaw are must-haves  in my family:

  

  Serving

  I can’t remember where I read this but it is the most important part of the process.

  Just before serving the potatoes, you need to first cut them, then squeeze them with your thumbs and forefingers (to break up the insides) and then flatten them out a bit. This will let the steam out and stop the potato skin from going soggy. You will also have a great base to load the toppings onto.

  Here is a video of me doing just that whilst trying not to burn my fingers:

  Here are a few of my favourite combinations:

  They don’t freeze well but they do make a great lunch the following day:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more potato dishes and winter warmers:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 25, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Easy Mushroom Soup

  There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night than to sit down and tuck into something hot!

  Whether it be a curry, casserole or soup…I love nothing more than eating a dish that warms you right down to your bones!

  Mum has made soups all my life. As a kid, she may as well have put hearts and livers on a plate and put it in front of me. There was nothing worse than the idea of soup, let alone Mushroom soup. But as with most dishes, nostalgia tends to set in and I have a newfound appreciation of all things my mum cooked as a kid and how much I wish to be there again.

  This dish is about 10 minutes of prep (if you are slightly mad and enjoy cracking the stem of the mushroom off and then peeling each..and every…single…mushroom). And then 20-30 minutes simmering.

  Ingredients

  • 1 kg mushrooms, stems removed if you wish and peeled
  • 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup thickened cream

  Method

  1. Melt butter in a Crock pot or large saucepan. Cook the onion until partly softened. Add garlic and cook until onion is browned and softened.
  2. Now add in the mushrooms and cook until they are lightly browned, stirring often so they don’t stick to the pan.
  3. Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  6. Use an electric mixer to puree the soup (I personally like it to be slightly chunky, but puree a bit longer if you like a smooth soup).
  7. When ready to serve, stir in the cream and top with freshly chopped basil. And as always…enjoy!

  

  Enjoy,

  Welchy

  Here are more soup posts and Welchy recipies:

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  May 19, 2016