Plan Over Taco Soup - Fast and Cheap!

I regularly have too much taco meat from the night previous and turn what's left into this amazing soup.  I know there are tons of Taco Soup recipes out there and I have tried many over the years.  This recipe still remains my favourite version.  Why?  It has beans (love them), corn (love it) and pasta shells (love them too!)

Loaded with vegetables and beans, this soup warms and fills the tummy.  My kids LOVE this soup.  It might have something to do with the fact that I serve it with sour cream, cheese and whatever taco shells weren't eaten the night before, crushed and served on top.  Don't throw out those last few taco shells!  They go great with this soup as a garnish, they soak in the soup and wilt and become wonderful.  This is a recipe that wastes nothing!

This soup is fast (cooks in under 30 minutes) and helps you clean out your fridge of taco condiments (how come I have two jars of taco sauce open at the same time?  Who opened that salsa?) Use them all in this soup, or at least I do.  I also add a few veggies and a tin of beans. My kids love pasta, so I add that too.  Making this dish child friendly. I have made this with peas and green beans (I had a small quantity in my freezer that I wanted to use) they worked a treat.  Feel free to use this soup to clean out what you have in the crisper and freezer.

As mentioned before, this soup is fast!  Great for a night when you needed dinner on the table fast.   It makes roughly enough for 6-8 serves.  I don't bother serving this with bread as I have the taco shells to keep my four children happy.  What more can I say than "Yum!"

1 tablespoon oil
1 - 1 1/2 cups of prepared taco meat (you need a full cup for this to work properly)
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tablespoon of taco seasoning (I use my own blend)
8 cups boiling water
1/2 cup red lentils (the little red ones)
1 cup taco sauce or salsa
1 cup small pasta shells
1x 425g tin of beans (kidney, black or pinto are my favourites), strained and rinsed
1/2 cup corn (I like frozen)
whatever chopped tomatoes you have from your taco night
to serve:
sour cream
grated cheese
salsa/taco sauce
guacamole
taco shells

In a large heavy based pot, heat the oil.
Fry the onions, carrots and celery for about 2 minutes. During those 2 minutes, fill your kettle and boil the water for later on.
Add the garlic, taco meat and taco seasoning.  Cook until the taco seasoning becomes fragrant.
Add the now boiling water and the red lentils.  Continue to boil in the pot for about 2-3 minutes.
Turn down to a simmer.  Cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the pasta shells and cook until they are tender (about 12 - 14 minutes)
Add the  corn, beans and salsa/taco sauce and simmer for a further couple of minutes OR until heated thru and hot.
Ladle into bowls, top with your choice of toppings and enjoy!

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x

Moist Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

This is an idea I have been playing with for a while.  I have tried a few recipes and none quite worked how I wanted (really chocolatey - but still moist).  Needless to say my family has eaten many a muffin while I perfected this recipe.

Zucchini's have been on sale here, they were under a dollar for a kilo (just over 2 pounds).  After trying various recipes, I decided to take what I liked from a few recipes and came up with this.  The Zucchini makes these muffins moist and not as heavy as a standard chocolate muffin and if you really want an extra incentive - it gives your family some (although minimal) veggies in their diet.

These muffins are super chocolatey, the addition of the yoghurt/sour cream and the zucchini makes these super moist.  Enjoy warm or room temp. Muffins are such a great treat: as an after school snack, perfect for lunch boxes or if you are in a bind, add a scoop and ice-cream (and heat your muffins a tad) and you have dessert.

This recipe makes quite a lot.  As I have 5 lunch boxes to bake for (the fifth being my husband's) I need recipes that make plenty.  These also freeze well.  These will only last about 3 days in my home (if I'm lucky)  I use regular sized muffins tins and cases (not the jumbo Texas sized ones).  You should get about 48 (4 dozen) muffins, this recipe can be halved if you don't need quite so many.  The recipe as written is perfect for parties and get togethers due to the amount - you get lots!  As an extra note -  I NEVER ice or frost a muffin.


 3 3/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons  baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yoghurt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (I use from milk powder)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used dark and white)
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (from one largish zucchini)

Pre-heat your oven to 190oC or 400oF and line 4 x 12 hole muffin trays with muffin cases.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients and use a whisk to mix well (this puts air into the mix)
In a separate bowl add your wet ingredients and use the same whisk to form a thick creamy mixture.
Pour the creamy mix into the dry mix and add the chocolate chips and the zucchini.
Use a spatula or a large wooden spoon to carefully mix all the bits together in the large bowl,  do so carefully and only mix until the wet and dry mixtures are incorporated.
Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cases (only fill to half way)
Pop into the pre-heated oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or cooked.
Remove the trays from the oven and sit on a wire rack.  Let the muffins cool in the tin for a full 10 minutes before removing to cool individually on the wire rack.

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x

Two Minute Stir Fry Sauce

I enjoy a good stir fry - particularly when they have noodles in them. I love noodles! Does this make me a big kid?  I know there are plenty of stir fry sauces available on the market, whether in jars or sachets, but they are $$ and usually full of sugar.  I looked at one brand last month,  it was over 39% sugar!  That's more than a slice of chocolate cake.

This recipe is my basic Stir Fry Sauce, it takes mere seconds to whizz up and I always have the ingredients handy.  There's no going to Asian or specialty stores as all the items listed are found in most grocery stores.  Stir fry sauce can be pre-made and popped into the fridge, just give it a good stir before you fry it (the corn flour and stock powder sink the the bottom).

Stir fry's can be on the table in less than 20 minutes.  That's great for nights when you're in a rush.  This quantity of sauce is perfect for 1/2 kilo of chicken, pork or beef stir fry pieces (I chop my own, it's cheaper) and 4 cups of your choice of vegetables (suggested veggies: cabbage, snow peas, carrots, celery, baby corn, onions, bean sprouts, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and assorted Asian greens).  This should feed about 5 adults.

To make dinner faster, pre chop the meat and the vegetables earlier in the day (I have been known to chop them the night before.  When you are in that "rush hour" of getting dinner on the table as fast as you can, it's faster.  Just make sure there is no water on your veggies.   After washing them, I like to chop them and wrap them in a clean tea towel and then in a large zip lock bag (still wrapped in the tea towel).

I should mention that I don't like my stir fry's with too much sauce on them.  If you do, please make
1 1/2  this recipe.  As most Asian sauces keep for a while, when buying these ingredients initially - you will be able to make this Stir fry many times over.

2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Ketchup Manis
2 Tablespoons Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornflour (corn starch)
1/2 teaspoon chicken stock powder

In a smal bowl, mix the water, stock powder and corn flour (starch) together.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir through.

To use the sauce:
Heat a large pan with oil (I like peanut or sesame - but use what you have)
Fry your choice of meat with garlic and ginger (I like 2 teaspoons of each)
Cook the meat until cooked.
Remove the meat from the pan, add the veggies to the now empty pan and fry for 3-5 minutes.
Add the stir fry sauce and add the cooked meat and stir well to combine.  The sauce is ready when it becomes thick and bubbly.
Serve with rice &/or noodles for a complete meal.

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x

Butter Streusel Cake (with fruit) - German Style

As a child one of my favourite desserts was Danish, why?  I loved the streusel topping!  This cake is a bit of both worlds (the fruit and the streusel).  My DH loves this, as does his cousin who before getting married would come over and visit for dinner on a regular basis.  This is a dessert that's always a hit!  This can be served hot with ice-cream (Hubby's favourite), warm with cream or cold as an afternoon or morning tea.

For the fruit - use whatever your favourite canned fruit is.  I find the apples, peaches, pears and apricots go well.  Plums would be great, but take the stones out of the fruit first.  I have tried this with fresh fruit, I was unable to get the same end result as using canned fruit.  I always have cans of fruit in my pantry (ok, I have lots!) you never know when you might like to whip up something.  If the desire strikes, I like to be prepared!  Please make sure that you have well drained the fruit, I use a spaghetti strainer and leave the fruit in there to drain while I make the batter.

A word about assembling this dessert - I have found that if there is too much fruit placed in the middle of the cake it takes longer to cook and is uncooked upon my regular cooking time.  I find using my hands to distribute the fruit a little bit everywhere works best.  Paying close attention to corners as they cook faster.

This recipe will yield one large cake in a large leamington/brownie tray (18x28 cm or 9x11").  It should give about 20 slices.  If you like your streusel topping crunchy as I do, it's best served the day of preparation.  As the fruit is moist, any cake that isn't eaten the day of preparation should be refrigerated.

You will notice there is no word about removing the cake from the tin.  This isn't a type-oh this is correct.  I tried removing it once and the topping all but fell off on to my kitchen bench.  Slice and serve from the tin.  This cake is best served the day of baking as the next day, the topping is not as crunchy.

Cake Batter

3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups SR flour
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk (I use use milk powder mixed with water)
1 large tin of fruit, well drained (I use my collinder)

Streusel Topping

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups butter - cold
2 ts cinnamon

Pre-heat your oven to 180oC or 350oF.  Well grease your tin but don't add baking paper.
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it looks thick and creamy. Add the eggs and beat in well.
Fold (gently mix) in the half the flour and half the milk.
Fold in the remaining flour, Baking powder and the milk.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly (it will be a bit thicker than a normal cake mix, this is normal).
Gently arrange the fruit on top (to get a bit of fruit everywhere and not all dumped in the middle)
Top with the prepared streusel topping (use your hands to get a bit everywhere) and pop into the prepared oven.  Bake for 35-45 minutes.  Cool in the tin and serve from the tin.
STREUSEL: Mix the flour, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl.  Use your hands to combine the butter, use your fingers to work the butter in so the the whole lot looks like large bread crumbs.

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x

Easy Lamb Kofta

My children love these!  They are best made on the BBQ over coals, but an inside BBQ or under the grill (broil) will work well too.  When made on the BBQ they have a wonderful smokey flavour that is out of this world!  Kofta's are so versatile - serve them as it with a salad, on bread or inside a pit pocket.  They are also great for making kebabs at home.  Sauces that my family enjoy with kofta are: BBQ, Hommus and Tziki - but not all 3 together!

I roll them (with wet hand) into a sausage shape.  Each kofta is about 5 cm long (2 inches), though you can put them onto skewers if you feel the desire (just remember to soak the bamboo sticks for about 15-20 minutes before using them).

You will notice there are a few spices listed below, I have a well stocked spice and herb pantry, so these are what I use.  As I use my herbs and spices regularly, I make sure I have what I need.  If you prefer not to buy each of these to possibly not use again (what a waste of money), I recommend finding a good middle eastern store and buying 1 1/2 Tablespoons of a Kofta spice mix called Baharat.   It has very similar flavours and comes ready to go!  I have two Middles eastern stores near me and each sell spices, nuts and traditional treats in whatever quantity you need.

This recipe will give you roughly 10 -12 Kofta's.  I normally double this so my children can take the "plan overs" to school the next day for their lunches.  Kofta's can be made up to 24 hours ahead of schedule, mini Kofta's (or roll them into meatballs), they are fabulous for parties - serve with your choice of middle eastern dip and lavish bread - yum!

500g lamb mince (just over a pound)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 an onion, chopped as fine as you can (or grated)
1 ts ground cumin
1 ts ground coriander powder (cilantro)
1 ts garam masala
1/2 ts ground cloves
1/2 ts cinnamon
A large handful of fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Mix all the above ingredients in a large bowl.  Use wet hands to form Kofta's.  Either use immediately or pop on a plate and cover with cling film and pop into the fridge until you need them.
Pre-heat your BBQ and grease your griddle plate well.  Put the kofta's on and BBQ each side for about 5-7 minutes.  Turn until all sides have been cooked.
Serve hot with your choice of salads, breads and dips.

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x

Chicken Florentine

This dish isn't gorgeous, look at it!  But it's delicious.  This is a meal in one, you probably could add steamed veggies or a salad on the side, but I never have.

This meal is one of my husbands top 5.  I make this on a semi-regular basis or when my hubby has had had a particularly long or stressful day at work.  It also helps that my four children love this. Anything covered with cheese or filled with bacon is pretty much guaranteed to be a winner.  This recipe has both!

If you haven't had a Chicken Florentine before I want you to imagine steaming hot rice covered in layers of chicken, bacon, mushrooms and fried onions, the whole thing is topped with a creamy style Italian sauce and cheese.  I have made this before with pasta, but I find the rice so much easier.  I either plan this meal for the night after a meal with rice and simply cook more and set aside OR I pop some rice into the rice cooker and leave it to do its thing.

This makes a large tray of Florentine, but it could be halved if you want/need less.  This recipe will serve 8-10 adults.  If you want to stretch it, add some garlic bread and a salad and you can feed up to 12 adults.

Recipe:

5 cups cooked rice
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, diced
3 chicken breasts, diced (about 750g or 1 1/2 pounds)
10-12 button mushrooms, quartered (or more if you really like them)
1 - 1 1/4  cup diced bacon (about 10 rashers)
250g (1/2 pound) box of frozen spinach, defrosted and excess water squeezed out
2 x 425 g tins of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sour cream (I use light)
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Pre-heat your oven to 180oC (375oF)
In a large fry pan, heat the oil and fry the chicken until white.  Add the onions, mushrooms and bacon to the pan and continue to cook.
Meanwhile, place the rice into a large lasagne still tray.  Pat to all the corners and top with the spinach  (I use clean hands rather than a spoon).
Top with the contents of fry pan and use a wooden spoon to move it around, to get a bit of everything everywhere.
Add the soup, milk and the crushed garlic to the still hot fry pan.  Stir and cook until bubbly.
Add the basil and lemon juice, stir to combine.  Turn the heat off and add the sour cream.
Stir well and pour over the chicken and vegetable layer.  Making sure you get into the sides and a bit of the sauce gets everwhere.
Top with mozzarella cheese and bake in your pre-heated oven for 35-45 minutes OR until the top is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes (enough to set the table and get the plates out of the cupboard).
Enjoy hot. 

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x

Sweet Pumpkin and Choc Chip "Bread"

I love Pumpkin!  It's one of my top 3 vegetables (is it strange that I rank my favourite veggies?)  Here in Australia pumpkin is used mostly for savoury dishes (unless you are making Lady Flo's famous pumpkin scones).  In North America it's used mostly for sweet cooking and baking, roast pumpkin and pumpkin soup are not that common or popular from what I have seen and heard.  I have many friends from the US who enjoy the idea of Pumpkin as savoury - I wonder if I can help us Aussies (pronounced Ozzies - like Ozzy Osbourne) to learn to love Pumpkin as a sweet as much as our northern friends do.

I heard about Pumpkin Bread many years ago and was intrigued by the idea and had to try it.  The first recipe I tried had a whopping 3 cups of sugar in it!  It was so sweet it was off putting.  This recipe is sweetened with sugar, but as pumpkin is naturally sweet, I feel it doesn't need any more.  This isn't served with any frosting or icing, hence the name "bread".

I make this when pumpkins are cheap (there is no Libby's canned Pumpkin here in Australia), that being said.  Pumpkins aren't really seasonal here and regularly on sale.  So I buy a whole pumpkin (I am most fond of Butternuts), peel and de-seed it then boil and mash the whole lot.  I measure out 2 cup quanitites and freeze them in ziplock bags.  This is perfect for this recipe, or adding flavour and colour to casseroles, risotto or soups.

This can be served warm with lashings of butter or cold with butter or without.  My children love this and regularly have it in their lunch boxes.  Choc chips can be omitted or swapped for sultanas/raisins if you so wish.  This will keep in a Tupperware type container for up to 3 days and will give you roughly 16 slices. 


1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups mashed pumpkin - no butter or milk  (or a 16 oz can of pumpkin puree)
3 cups SR flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup choc chips (or up to a cup)

Pre-heat your oven to 180oC or 350oF
In a large bowl beat the sugar, oil and eggs together.
Add the pumpkin and beat again, until well combined.
Add the flours, bicarb, spices and choc chips.
Fold thru and pour into a well greased large flute ring tin.
Bake in the prepared oven for 55-65 minutes OR until a toothpick comes out clean when tested.
Leave to cool for a full 10 minutes before you turn out on a wire rack to cool.

Happy Cooking!
Elizabeth x