Nola's meatloaf

Treat this like Kiwi terrine! A few slices of this lovely moist, caramalised meatloaf recipe goes perfectly with a garden salad, new potatoes or fresh vege on the side beautifully. This looks like French bistro but tastes unmistakenly Kiwi.

Ingredients:
500g Dave's sausages or others (about 6 saussies normal size)
500g mince
1/4 c chopped tomatoes out of a can
3 carrots, grated
1/3 c red or white cabbage (can be substiuted by a 1/3 cup of grated zuccini)
a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce
1 onion
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Set oven at 200 degress celsius
2. Take sausage meat out of casing and mix in with meat.
3.Grate onion, carrots and thinly slice or grate the cabbage in a bowl. Add chopped tomatoes.
4. Combine the veges,meats, sweet chilli sauce and combine well until it form a nice clump.
5.Mould into a loaf like rectangle and wrap in aluminium foil.
6. Cook for an hour at 180 degrees fan bake.


Serve with fresh salad and spicy elderflower salad dressing.

Pub Quiz Pastitsio (Greek lasagne)

I made Pastitsio the first time at my flat in Home Street, Point Chev. when I was reminded of this easy dish again at my regular Monday pub quiz the other day.
It's easier than making Shepherd's Pie and Italian lasagna.


Ingredients:
500g mince
Can of shopped tomatoes
Half an onion
1 clove of garlic
1 c Tasty cheese (Pams)
Milk (Long life or fresh will do)
Flour (Home Brand)
Knob of margarine or butter (Flora)
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch cinnamon
2 1.2 cups of Fusilli or Penne style pasta (Budget)
Salt and pepper (In this instance I used Kelp pepper)
Boiled water 4 white sauce


Method:
Finely chop onion and garlic. Add olive oil/fat/marg/butter, add onions, garlic and mince. Cook until the mince is done. Add can of chopped tomatoes, pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper to season. Set aside.
Boil water and cook pasta. While the pasta is cooking make a "roux" for the white sauce. To do this, melt the knob of butter then add enough flour for the fat to soak up all of the fat and turns into a clump. Gradually add half milk and half water to obtain the sauce's thickness that you desire. Make sure you stir right throughout to make a smooth and lumpless sauce.

Butter an oven dish, In this instance I used Pam's cranola spray.

Italian meatball soup for brrr! weather

When I was working in comms at NZ Post my colleague Tanya Stoyanof sent me this recipe and is one of my oldest emails sitting in my inbox nothing done about. It's been sitting there stewing for over three years and I think it's about time I take it out and cook it.
Tanya, my colleague's family originates from Bulgaria the country where literature was born. This soup is literature defined in a soup pot and eats like a good heart rendering novel combining all the hearty ingredients to stave off the wintery cold.

Mince is regularly on sale at the supermarkets most of these days and getting 500g mince for a fiver if not under is doable on most shopping trips.

Tip: Edit and use the meatball recipe here for a quick Indian! Just stir under Patek Korma curry sauce and a can of coconut cream for an Indian variation on this recipe and substitute the basil with coriander Raj's your uncle!

Meatballs:

500g lean beef mince
1 red onion - grated
3 cloves garlic - crushed
Handful finely chopped fresh basil, or fresh out of the tube
Salt, pepper to season
1 lightly beaten egg
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Mix all ingreds together and shape tablespoonfuls into balls

Soup

Make tomato sauce or cheat like I do and buy ready made Tomato/Garlic/Basil pasta sauce (Dolmio 550g I think?) or a can of Watties chunky tomatoe soup works a treat and is cheap!
4 cups good qual chick stock (homemade is best)
2 cups water

Put in deep saucepan and bring to the boil

Add meatballs and turn heat down to gentle boil for approx 10mins plus.

Add veggies of your choice preferably what's on special at the supermarket e.g. diced courgette, spinach leaves, fresh beans cut in half, carrots, celery and 1/2 cup of risoni (Barilla is best. See if it's on special!)

Continue to simmer uncovered for approx 5 mins or until pasta is cooked, veggies tender and meatballs done

Serve immediately in big bowls plain or sprinkled with chopped Italian parsley (optional) and grated fresh parmesan

Yummy with toast or hot crusty bread like Ciabatta if you can stretch your pennies that far