The Shuttle Bus

My kids go to three different schools. Theoretically this shouldn't be such an issue especially since the two older ones are at High School and can catch the bus to and from school. You'd think... But it happens every morning and frequently in the afternoon as well. For a while there it was also happening during the day but I put a stop to that. Well until the younger ones get to High School and then we'll go through the training all over again. The mornings often involve one of them being so late heading out the door that if I don't drive him to the bus stop he will miss the bus. I find this infuriating. They usually get up with plenty of time to get ready so the only explanation for the out the door rush is some form of distraction which has diverted the teenage attention, which let's face it, isn't huge, and totally side-tracked him from getting ready for school. Aside from standing over them micro-managing their every movement, and quite frankly I have way more things to be getting on with, I really don't know what the answer is. I guess they'll grow out of it. Or they won't. The afternoons present a different set of challenges. One afternoon each week child number two must remember to take a different bus and take himself to piano lessons. He frequently forgets and I'll either get a phone-call from his piano teacher to say that he hasn't arrived or a text message from him to ask for a lift. Since my younger two children also go to the same piano teacher and I have had to collect them from school, bring them home for a quick snack then take them to piano only to collect all three 90 minutes later, I find the prospect of an additional trip hard to take. It takes a huge chunk out of an afternoon where I am normally getting dinner under way, bringing washing in and various other unfinished tasks. But the one I had to put a stop to was the text message during the school day with a plea to bring some item or another to school. Now the High Schools are not just around the corner. They are a good 20 minutes to half hour drive away which means giving up an hour of an already very short day for a mercy mission. This is one of those times where the opportunity presents itself to teach the lesson of taking responsibility for their own affairs and the consequences of not being on the ball. If they fail an assignment because it wasn't handed in on time, next time they'll make sure it is. If they miss out on swimming or sport because they forgot to pack they right equipment or clothing, next time they'll be better prepared. I know I'm a grumpy mummy but at least they eat well.

Tonight we are having burgers - a rare treat because I had the mince and was looking for something different from the usual Spaghetti Bolognese or Meatloaf. I add grated carrot, finely chopped onion, a whisked egg, some tomato paste and a little dijon mustard to the mince before making the patties.

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Mum's Projects

I don't know why I do it. I know I shouldn't. But you know what? It happens every single time. I just can't help myself when it comes to doing the kids' school projects. Not intentionally mind. It creeps up on me. As is usual, the project will have been left until the last minute. There will be a total lack of inspiration for a subject matter for the project. Once decided, there will be a distinct lack of direction for undertaking the design and construction of the project. And so somewhere along the line I will get involved to ensure timely completion. We are currently working on a Trojan Horse made from Paddle Pop or Popsicle sticks. It is a very ugly and ungainly construction, partly because of a conflict of methodology between the project owner (12 year old son) and the project contractor (me). I helped to a point to get the project off the ground then left him to it. And this is where the construction left the design path so to speak and headed off in a totally different direction. In an effort to bring the project back on course, more materials were used than originally budgeted for and the scale has increased somewhat. After a mercy dash to the craft supplies shop to get more paddle pop sticks (ooh, look! they've got big ones too; packet of those as well) I think it highly unlikely that said project will meet the designated completion time: tomorrow. Maybe that's a good thing. He should learn more about consequence of his actions anyway.

Slow Baked Lamb Shank Casserole (serve 6 with leftovers)

4 large lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 stick celery chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup of white wine or sherry
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
Pinch dried mixed herbs
Bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 170˚C. Heat oil in large oven proof casserole. Brown shanks then remove from pot. Lower heat and in remaining oil gently cook all the vegetables until soft and golden. Add a little more oil if necessary. Add wine or sherry to pan and cook for a few minutes, then add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and herbs. Return shanks to pot, bring to boil cover and bake for approximately 2 hours. Check occasionally that there is plenty of liquid and top up if necessary. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.



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Flounder

There's been a lot of talk about Flounder on Google of late. According to Wikipedia Flounder is an ocean dwelling flatfish species that is located off the Canadian and U.S. east coast of the North Atlantic, and the Pacific Ocean, in coastal lagoons and estuaries. Flounder ambush their prey, feeding at soft muddy area of the sea bottom, near bridge piles, docks, artificial and coral reefs and have been also found at the deepest depths of the ocean, at bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest known location on Earth's crust.

Poached asian fish rolls

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 (about 150g each) John dory fillets (or mirror dory or flounder), skinned
• 100g enoki mushrooms
• 2 green shallots, trimmed, cut into thin strips
• 1L (4 cups) fish stock
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely shredded
• 2 200g pkts udon noodles
• 1 bunch baby bok choy, bases trimmed, washed, halved lengthways

Method

1. Place the fish fillets on a clean chopping board. Divide the enoki mushrooms and green shallots evenly among the fillets. Roll-up each fillet, starting from the tail end. Secure with toothpicks and set aside.
2. Place the stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil and ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Add the noodles, bok choy and fish rolls to the pan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
4. To serve, remove the toothpicks from the fish rolls. Transfer noodles and vegetables to serving bowls. Top each with a fish roll and ladle the soup over. Serve immediately.

This image comes from a flickr photoset belonging to AGrinberg and is used under a creative Commons Licence.

Meatloaf! Comfort Food.

I haven't had a chance to do my daily walk the last few days and that irks me. What I have managed is an hour in the garden as the weather has been so great. Gradually moving through the yard with a weeding fork in one hand and a bucket in the other, I wonder if I will actually remove them faster than they will regrow. Then out with a watering can and some Seasol to get all the new baby plants I just put in a good start and I'm done for the day. Yesterday I had to take my eldest back to the doctor to check on that toe. It turned out not to be broken after all, so the cast was removed and we left the surgery with him doing a dramatic casting away of the crutches for a laugh. We followed that up with a visit to our favourite coffee shop since its days are numbered and its doors will close in less than two weeks. Dinner tonight will be a simple affair. It seems so ordinary but one of the great comfort foods is meatloaf. Get a great recipe and it appeals to almost everybody. My family love the glaze that goes with mine.

Basic Meatloaf (serves 6 - with yummy leftovers!)

1kg beef mince
two thick slices white bread
1 cup milk
1 onion chopped finely
1 carrot grated
A good dollop tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper

Glaze

1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Remove crusts from bread then break into small pieces and place in bowl with the milk to soak for a few minutes. Fork mash the bread and milk mixture then add to remaining meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl mixing well by hand until well combined.Place mixture into prepared loaf pan then upturn this into a roasting pan leaving baking paper on loaf. Cover with foil then place in oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove foil and baking paper. Be careful of steam. Drizzle glaze all over loaf and allow to combine with pan juices. Return to oven for about 30 minutes checking from time to time. Add extra liquid (water or stock) to pan if needed. Remove meatloaf to a warm dish. Place roasting pan on stove top and heat while stirring adding more liquid if needed until sauce is the consistency you like.

Glaze: combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently for a few minutes until smooth and thickened slightly.

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Toeing The Line

I had a fair bit planned for the day. For one thing I was going to knuckle down and write an update for my blog which I have neglected lately. I was going to spend some time doing those tutorials I have been meaning to do. And I was going to do all the usual stuff I do on a Friday. You know, the supermarket shopping, pick kids up, drop kids off, pick kids up, make a great dinner. Unfortunately, the teenager's big toe needed my attention. You see, it had had an unfortunate encounter with another teenager's toe, or foot, or boot or something of the lower appendage type, during a school indoor soccer match. That was yesterday. We thought it was just bruised. "Just keep icing it and stop grizzling!" This morning we're thinking it probably should get looked at by someone with a little more knowledge about blue-green toes than we have. If you are anything like me, you will do almost anything to avoid a trip to Accident & Emergency. Because the pain of spending hours in the waiting room is almost as unbearable as that being endured by the patient. But an X-ray was in order and that's something I can't do myself. Actually, today it all happened fairly quickly. Three hours later, x-rays done, half-cast fitted, lessons on use of crutches completed I decided to give him some practice by going around the supermarket with me so at least I'd get that done. The remainder of the day involves racing home, unpacking shopping, collect kids from dancing, race home, get them changed for soccer training, drop kids off at soccer training, hang around park for an hour, get home and do dinner. Decide the best option for dinner is something that can go in the oven while I'm at the park so I'm trying out a Chicken Biryani recipe I came across. I can do some of it before I pick up the kids from dancing, then finish it off and get it in the oven while they get ready for soccer training. It needs to be sealed really well to keep all the moisture in otherwise it tends to dry out. It is very fragrant and tasy.

Chicken Biryani (serves 4-6)

1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 whole green cardamom pods
2-3 whole cloves
Cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 onions sliced
700g chicken breast cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
juice of 1 lemon
4 tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2/3 cup natural yoghurt
pinch saffron strands soaked in 150ml hot water
3 tablespoons toasted flaked almonds and fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the rice, salt, and whole spices. Boil for two minutes then draining leaving the whole spices in the rice.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions for 8 minutes, until browned and softened. Add the chicken followed by all the ground spices, the garlic, ginger and lemon juice. Stir-fry for five minutes.

Transfer the chicken mixture to an ovenproof casserole and lay the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle on the fresh coriander, spoon over the yoghurt and top with the drained rice.

Drizzle the saffron water over the top. Cover tightly and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and remove the whole spices from the rice. Garnish with toasted almonds and fresh coriander sprigs. Serve with natural yoghurt.

Bottled Energy & Essence Of Youth

If there's one thing I've learned in my journey as a parent it is that children have boundless energy. It also gives me wisdom in hindsight and if there was just one pearl of it that I could give young women it would be to have your children while you are young - don't wait until later in life. When you are young is when your energy levels are most likely to match those of your children. You are also a little less set in your ways and possibly a little more tolerant. Perhaps these sentiments come to mind as I struggle to the end of another school vacation day which has been wet and cold. The opportunities to expend some of that energy have been limited and after a pretty unproductive day in front of TV and computer the annoyance levels being emitted by my children seem to have peaked. Maybe it is because I was 35 when I had my first child and therefore my energy levels, which are being tested by the approach of menopause, are definitely not in sync with my childrens'. Most likely, it is a combination of both. At 15, my eldest is teaching himself German. He has a chance to visit Germany next year and is putting a lot of energy into picking up some of the language. We are being beset with all sorts of strange enunciations as he practices each new verbal jewel. If I could bottle my younger childrens' energy and combine it with their brother's commmitment to his current project, what a dish I could make! We'll just have to settle for a great lamb curry that has always been a favourite and one I do often.

Mutton Kari
(Madras Style Meat Curry)

Serves 6

1.5kg (3lb) lamb forequarter chops
3 tablespoons oil or ghee
10 curry leaves
3 medium onions finely chopped
3 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3-4 teaspoons chilli powder or to taste
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 or 3 fresh green chillies, split halfway from tip

Cut chops in large pieces leaving bone in. Heat oil or ghee in a large heavy saucepan and fry the curry leaves until brown. Add onions, garlic and ginger and fry until soft and golden. Add turmeric and fry for a few seconds, then put in chilli powder, coriander and cumin and fry for one minute.
Add salt and vinegar and stir until liquid evaporates, then put in the meat and stir until it is coated wioth the spices. Add green chillies, lower heat and cook until meat is tender. Juices come from the meat and there should be no need to add water.
Meanwhile, roast the coconut in a dry pan until golden brown. Grind in electric blender until finely ground and if necessary, add 1/2 cup of the coconut milk to facilitate blending. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Add to the curry together with the rest of the coconut milk and simmer uncovered until gravy is thick. Serve with rice and accompaniments.

Loads of great Indian cookbooks here!

Rites Of Passage

We are having one of those pivotal moments in our house today. Our teenage son is being permitted to do something for the first time which is just another step in his path to independence. It is something that he has been trying to get permission to do for some time now and which his father is still against but I have relented on. It is nothing major. It just involves catching a train with his mates to the movies in a large regional centre which happens to be located on the fringe of an area known for bad behaviour among its youth population. His father grew up in a similar area and his attitude is understandable. He is our eldest and breaking these boundaries will always be more difficult for him than for his younger siblings, I realise. I experienced the same as the eldest in my family. It means I am a little pre-occupied today and may not get everything done that I intend. I'll need to get dinner on a bit early today and I think it will be an old standby, Spaghetti Bolognaise. Mine is fairly simple. I don't use mushrooms or bacon or red wine. I also don't use water or thickeners. The flavour comes from caramelising the vegetables at the beginning and simmering the dish slowly and gently allowing the flavour to develop as the liquid reduces and thickens. It is one meal that every member of our household likes. I'll often cook a double quantity and freeze half for another day.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion chopped fine
1 carrot, peefed and grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped very fine
500g minced beef
1 tablespoon paprika
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
pinch salt
pich dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato paste

In a medium size saucepan heat oil gently over medium heat. Add onion, carrot & tomato and cook gently until soft and browned slightly. Increase heat and add mince. Cook while stirring constantly to break up lumps and brown through. Add paprika and cook for a few minutes then add tinned tomatoes, salt and herbs. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover pan and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove lid, add tomato paste and cook for a further 15 minutes uncovered until sauce is thick and rich in colour. Serve with spaghetti, parmesan cheese, salad and crusty bread.

I found this interesting clip on the background to spaghetti and the cooking styles of Bologna. The viewpoint is an extremely traditional one and gives a little insight into the differences between people from different regions of Italy.

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Wow, What A Sunday!

The wind howled again last night and I swear I don't know what's holding the roof on! So it was a wonderful delight to wake to an absolutely stunning mid-winter day. After a nippy early (for a Sunday) start (teenage son was refereeing three soccer matches this morning) all of a sudden the sun put on a burst of warmth. I sat by the field in my fold-up chair, my sunglasses on and a coffee in one hand and just soaked it up. Since we were in the neighbourhood we dropped in to the mall afterwards and he proceeded to spend most of his earnings. Tonight's dinner will be fairly simple. We do love a good curry. We were first introduced to curries by some english colleagues back in the early eighties. Friday night summonses of "Let's go for Ruby!" were common. Ruby? Hmm, that needed explaining for us as well. It's one of those charming english rhyming slang expressions. Translation: Ruby: Ruby Murray: curry. In Sydney, and much of New South Wales for that matter, every suburb and every town has a chinese restaurant. This is largely because when Australia was still a very young nation we had a large influx of Chinese immigrants all attracted by the goldrushes of the 19th century. England's equivalent of the chinese restaurant is the Indian curry house. In London, on every corner not occupied by a pub (or an offie, sorry, off-licence, that's a bottle-shop) there is an Indian restaurant. We fell in love with curries almost immediately and were soon out-challenging each other in the heat factor. The next logical step was to learn to cook them for ourselves. I invested in a fantastic Indian cookbook by Charmaine Solomon and learned to cook curries from scratch with authentic ingredients. When we decided to go travelling, the first stop on our itinerary was India. We spent five weeks there and quickly learned to eliminate meat from our diets if we wanted to spend more time seeing India and less time seeing the inside of her public toilets. Now that we have children I need to cook meals that will be eaten by them. I haven't succeeded yet in tuning their tastes to the more fiery meals that we used to love so much but I am gradually introducing a bit of heat to get them more accustomed. I also don't have the time I once had to spend on cooking. So I have embraced the easy to use curry pastes and sauces that are now so freely available. Tonight we are having Chicken Korma. I will panfry some chicken strips, add the Korma sauce, let it simmer until tender then add some yoghurt at the end. We will serve it with steamed rice, pappadams, chapatis, cucumber with sour cream, banana & coconut and tomatoes with chopped green onions (are they scallions in America?), chopped coriander (cilantro) and a sprinkle of lemon juice. I also did a vegetable side dish of spiced potato and spinach.

Here is the recipe for Palak Alu (Spinach With Potatoes) courtesy of Charmaine Solomon's Indian Cooking For Pleasure

Serves 4

500g (1lb) new potatoes
1 bunch spinch
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cummin
2 fresh green chillies, split and seeds removed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
approximately 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Scrub the potatoes well and cut into small cubes. Wash the spinach in several changes of water. Discard tough stems and put into a large saucpan with just the water that clings to the leaves. Cover and steam for ten minutes or until tender then chop roughly. Do not discard any liquid in pan.
In a large frying pan or karahi heat the ghee or oil and fry mustard and cummin seeds until mustard seeds pop. Cover the pan or you will mustard seeds all over the place. Add turmeric, coriander, cummin and the chillies. Add potatoes, stir and fry for a few minutes, then add salt and about half a cup of water, cover and cook for ten minutes. Add spinach, stir cover and cook for five to ten minutes more. Sprinkle nutmeg over and serve.

Oh, and the souffle last night? Was OK. I probably won't do it again in a hurry. There's plenty more wonderful meals out there.

What's your favourite keep it simple family meal?

See more cockney rhyming slang.

Girls' Night In

We have the house to ourselves tonight as the guys are going to a soccer match. Our eldest, mid-teens, plays for a rep side which is wallowing at the bottom of the table. He decided to see what his chances were of getting into a team in a higher division. One of the clubs he tried for has an Italian heritage and even though he wasn't successful, everyone he met there was incredibly friendly and he came away with a promise to look at him again next year and tickets for the rest of the season. We were going to take the opportunity to go chinese (the girls love chinese) but the wind is still making for a great night in. So we were watching Masterchef last night and they did this really yummy looking souffle. I've never cooked a souffle and because it isn't exactly "man food" I thought I might give it a go tonight. Check out the recipe here and I'll tell you tomorrow if my variation was a success or not.

Tonight Is Pizza Night

Friday is always hectic in our house. I do the supermarket shopping on Friday. The nearest supermarket is 15 minutes drive away and today it is blowing a gale force ice cold wind. In Katoomba, where I go to shop the temperature right now is 3.6 degrees. The forecast is a high of seven. I reckon that wind is going to bring it down close to zero so I will have all my woolies on when I head out.

I get a bit of extra time on a Friday because the girls go to dancing after school but that's when the fun starts. They get picked up from dance at 4:15. We race home and they get changed ready for soccer practice which starts at 5:00 and goes until 6:00. I think there's going to be some creative passing today. That wind is not only going to send the balls all over the place, it could lift a few little girls off the park as well.

That's why Friday is pizza night. I can let the kids do it themselves while I sit back with a glass of wine. The toppings are fairly basic at our place. The kids go for Marguerita while hubby likes a bit of a supreme complete with salami, pepperoni, ham, mushroom, garlic, artichoke, oregano, anchovies, olives and chilli flavoured olive oil.

What are your favourite pizza toppings?

Do you make your own bases?

Ever wished you could cook your favourite family restaurant dishes at home?