Best Tips for Cooking for 1 or 2

So, the kids have finally left home! You now have some well earnt quality time with your partner (or quality “me” time). Here are some tips to for cooking for 1-2 people and to keep you motivated to cook!

Create a meal plan and shopping list:

Plan out your meals for the week, so when you go to the shops, you only have to go once! This saves time and money! Then at the end of the week, when we have left over veg, let’s make use of this. Make a stir-fry and cook up all the vegetables. Or make a coleslaw by grating left over apple, the broccoli stem, or literally any vegetable left over and drizzle over some lemon, olive oil, bit of salt and pepper and you have the world’s best slaw! All about minimising food wastage. 

Look for smaller portions or portions that keep:

  • Freezer veg options, fresh part of supermarket already prepared veg, ½ loaf of bread or put it in the freezer
  • Buy a new cookbook or look for recipes specifically for one or two
  • Trade meals with a friend – nothing tastes better than a meal you didn’t have to cook yourself!

When cooking, cook a little extra for later!

When you are in the mood for cooking, using recipes that are for 3-4 people are still perfect as freezing the leftovers gives you an easy lunch or dinner when you are too tired or too hungry to cook. The best suggestion is to cook the rice/pasta fresh and to only freeze the sauce (as the rice and pasta can go mushy and undesirable). Making sure you at least have 3 different types of meals in the freezer gives you some options to choose from. Just remember to label the containers and date them so you remember what the container actually has inside and how old the food is!

Babysitting? Get the grandkids involved in the cooking!

On a day when you have the grandkids, why not bake a healthy oat bar together? This can be cut up and enjoyed together at morning or afternoon tea. Plus, kids love making a mess in the kitchen. What better way to improve their food literacy skills and to create memories they will cherish forever.

Written by Isabella Boccalatte 

Winter Recipes

Winter Recipes!

 

Now that the weather is cooking down we thought it would be a good time to give show you some winter warmer recipes, that not only warm you from the inside out, but are loaded with immune boosting foods!

 

 

Grilled vegetable meatball pasta

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

               1 zucchini

               1 capsicum

               3 large mushrooms

               1 red onion

               3 cloves of garlic

               1 packet masterfoods Tuscan meatball sauce

               1 can diced tomatoes

               Olive oil

               Mixed herbs

Meatballs:

               500g lean beef mince

               1/3 cup bread crumbs (or 1 slice bread blitzed)

               1 egg

 

Method

1.              Slice red onion, zucchini and capsicum into strips. Coat in olive oil salt and pepper and mixed herbs. On a bbq or in a grill pan cook veg until charred and soft.

2.              Chop all charred veg into a medium dice.

3.              In a large sauce pan heat some oil and brown off crushed garlic.

4.              Add to the sauce pan chopped roasted veg, Tuscan sauce and diced tomatoes. Fill up empty can of diced tomatoes half way with water and add to pan. Leave this to simmer.

5.              In a large bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients.

6.              Roll mince mixture into 16 meat balls, place in the simmering tomato sauce.

7.              Cook for around 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through, turning balls every couple of minutes.

8.              Serve with any pasta you like and optional extra veg and parmesan.

 

 

 

Chille Con carne/ Mexican burrito bowl

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

500 grams lean mince

1 tin peeled tomatoes (440g)

½ cup fresh mushrooms

1 zucchini (grated)

1 small red capsicum

2 medium onions

1 can mexi – beans or red kidney beans (drained) (440g)

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 jar salsa or taco sauce

 

Method:

1. Spray large frying pan/pot with oil and lightly sauté chopped onions & garlic for 5 mins.

2. Add mince and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, herbs, and chopped vegetables. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

3. Add taco sauce, drained beans and tomato paste, and flavour as desired with extra chilli sauce or powder. Serve with grated cheese, avocado and optional pita chips.

 

Thai chicken noodle soup

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

500g chicken thigh (trimmed of all the fat and cut into strips)

1 x onion

1 tsp oil

½ jar thai red curry paste

1 cup coconut milk

500ml chicken stock

3 x bok choy bulbs

1 x head broccoli OR 1 x bunch broccolini (chopped into bite size pieces

½ bag bean shoots

1 cup snow peas

200g vermicelli noodles

 

 

Method:

1.    In a large fry pan, heat thai red curry paste until becomes fragrant – after around 1 minute add chicken and continue to stir fry.

2.    Add onion and all other vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute. Keep some bean shoot for the top.

3.    Add coconut milk and stock and let simmer.

4.    In a large bowl, place dry vermicelli noodles and cover with boiling water – stand for 5 minutes.

5.    Add noodles to fry pan, and stir through.

6.    Serve with extra bean shoots on top and some fresh lime wedges.

Make sure to send through any photos of you at home using these recipes. Happy Cooking!

Smart supermarket swaps

The way we shop and eat has changed rapidly in the last few weeks. 
We no longer eat out, we are at home more, pantry staples may not be available and planning what to cook for dinner is more about what is available in the supermarket rather than what the recipe says you need.  Here is a table of ingredient swaps that might help your next shop:

If you cannot find….. Try….

Chicken breast

Chicken thigh or tenderloins
– use in the same ways as chicken breastChicken drumstick or a whole
chicken – bake in the oven (whole or break in to smaller pieces for quicker
cooking).  Remove the skin and
shred.  Add to the recipe in the last
stages e.g. add to curry once everything else is cooked or add to stir-fry
once the veggies and sauce are ready to serveOr may be this is your
opportunity to trial a vegetarian alternative such as chickpeas in a curry,
tofu in a stir-fry, black beans in Mexican or felafels in a wrap

Minced meat/chicken

Use an alternative meat or
chicken e.g. if the recipe calls for beef mince, you may be able to buy
chicken, turkey, pork or veal minceBuy chicken thigh and pulse
it a few times in a food processor to break in to small pieces (this will not
be as even as minced chicken but may work well enough for the recipe you haveTry lentils instead – this
works well in a bolognaise or shepherd’s/cottage pie

Canned goods 

Use fresh instead!  For example, dice fresh tomatoes instead of
canned onesSoak dried beans (some may
also require boiling) instead of canned Use fresh or frozen corn
instead of cannedTry raw, fresh beetroot
grated or roast it yourself, or you can buy beetroots already cooked and
vacuum packed in the fruit & veg aisle

Frozen foods e.g. vegetables and fruit

Use fresh instead!  You may even like to chop extra and freeze
it yourself.  For example, if you only
need half a broccoli, chop the remaining half in to florets and freeze in a container
or ziplock bagUse an alternative type e.g.
if no frozen berries, try a new fruit in your smoothie instead e.g. frozen
pineapple and fresh banana

Pasta and Rice

Use potato instead e.g.
bolognaise sauce on baked potatoesUse couscous/quinoa/teff/faro
instead.  Use zucchini pasta
instead.  Add bread or a bread roll to
satisfy your fuelling needs

Flour

Try using alternative flours
if available e.g. quinoa, oat, gluten free, buckwheat (note: if you are
baking these flours will act differently to wheat flour in some recipes so be
adventurous and experiment!)Dry rolled oats in a food
processor will grind down to a flour. 
Add baking powder (1 tsp per cup of flour) and this will act similarly
to plain flour.  Add 1 tsp baking soda
(per cup of flour) as well and this will act like self raising flour.

You may also like to investigate meal delivery services such as Hello Fresh, You Foodz or Marley Spoon to assist with keeping you well nourished.  Some local restaurants are offering takeaway meals and grocery shops at reasonable prices also.

Food has always been a way for us to connect, socialise and enjoy time together.  While physically we may have to do this at a distance, we encourage you to still catch up for a coffee together, cook and eat dinner together or simply chat over brunch; just in our new normal way, using a digital method.

Lets use our community to help each other – are there other smart swaps you have been using when your favourite supermarket item is not available.