Shepherds Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 475g tinned carrots in water
200g frozen peas
500g minced beef/lamb
1 packet Shepherds Pie mix (spice powder mix)
500g potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 large onion, sliced fine
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
Baking dish
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil


Drop cubed potatoes into a pot of boiling water and cook until soft. Mash with salt, pepper and butter

Make the Shepherds Pie mix in a jug according to packet instructions

In a hot pan with olive oil, cook the onions & garlic for 2 mins. Add mince and brown. Add carrots, peas and the Shepherds pie mix. Continue to cook until the meat is cooked through

Transfer mix to baking dish

If you have a piping bag you can use this to place a layer of mashed potato over the mix. Not to worry if you dont have a bag, you can simply spoon the potato over and flatten with a fork

Place in the oven at 200C/400F for 20 mins or until the potato is golden brown on top

Pumpkin & Orange Soup

Serves 6

600g pumpkin, flesh only
400g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
Bunch fresh coriander, stalks & leaves
Zest & Juice of 2 oranges
50g butter
600ml hot vegetable stock (800ml for thinner soup)
Salt and Pepper


Into a large pot melt butter

Add pumpkin, sweet potato, onion and garlic
Fry until soft and onion becomes clear

Add orange juice & zest followed by the stock
Bring to the boil

Simmer for 30 mins on high heat until potatoes and pumpkin are soft

Using a hand blender, blend until smooth

Season to taste with Salt and Pepper

Traditional Aussie Bread & Butter Pudding

Serves 6

Ingredients

5 slices white bread, crusts removed & buttered both sides
200g raisins
3 large eggs
400ml milk
150g caster sugar
15g mixed spice/cinnamon

*This recipe uses a 6x9inch baking dish*



Pre heat oven to 180C

Combine egg, milk and sugar and whisk until smooth

Layer the bottom of the baking dish with single layer of raisins
Add layer of bread

Add 1/2 of the milk, egg & sugar mix

Repeat steps of layering until all is used

When finished layering, add the remaining liquid

Dust with mixed spice

Place into the oven for roughly 30 mins at 180C
After 30 mins turn the oven up to 200C for 10 mins

Pudding is cooked when it skewers clean

Pumpkin Scones

Makes 6

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1/2 lb)cut into chunks
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp sugar


Preheat oven to 200C

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon & salt in a large bowl

Add butter cubes and rub with fingers until it looks like bread crumbs

In another bowl, gently mix the milk and pumpkin puree

Slowly add to the dry mix

Form a dough

Lightly flour and knead dough

Flatten and cut into triangles. You can also use a cookie cutter

Sprinkle with sugar


Bake for 20 mins or until skewers clean


**Serve with fresh whipped cream**

Spooky Brownie Cupcakes

Makes 16

Cupcake

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
175g all purpose flour
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup white caster (fine grain) sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 tsp vanilla essence

In a bowl mix sugar and butter until it has the appearance of bread crumbs

Add eggs and flour. Mix on high. Add vanilla essence

Add water and cocoa powder

Beat on high until smooth

Pop into a pre heated oven on 180C for 15 - 20 mins until skewers clean


Frosting

250g cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup cocoa powder


Using a mixer mix all on high until thick and creamy


The "gravestone" is made from melted chocolate which was shaped and set to dry on a sheet of baking paper, at room temp over night.

Sausage and Apple Mash

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 pork sausages
700g potatoes peeled and cubed
2 bramly apples, peeled, cored and quartered
15g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion sliced thin
1 Bramly Apple, Grated
Instant gravy

Cook sausages to personal taste

Boil potatoes for 10 mins in boiling water

Add 2 chopped apples to the potatoes and cook until tender

Take 500ml water from the pot and set aside. Drain away the remaining water

Mash the apples and potatoes with butter, salt and pepper

Fry onions in oil until soft. Add the grated apple and cook until soft

Using the instant gravy and the water that you set aside from the boiling pot



**based on recipe**

Chicken Wraps

An easy one

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 crumbed chicken goujons
1 chopped beef tomato OR 2 normal tomatoes
Fresh crispy lettuce
4 tbsp Mayo
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
2 Fresh Tortilla

Mix the may and sweet chili and spread over the tortilla
Slice goujons length ways
Layer tomato and lettuce

Fold the tortilla and enjoy and easy meal!

Burger Style BLT

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 quarter pounder lamb burgers, frozen or fresh (or beef, turkey)
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Honey
4 rashers streaky bacon
1 Beef Tomato, Sliced
Fresh Lettuce Leaves
Mayo
4 Burger Buns


In a small bowl, mix worcestershire sauce and honey. Rub into each burger

Cook under a grill/BBQ until cooked through

Oven cook the bacon until crispy 5 - 10 mins

To serve...

Layer beef tomatoes and lettuce, next add the burger
Top with a dollop of Mayo and the crispy bacon

Ghost Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g Plain Flour
2 eggs (at room temp)
600ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Handful raisins
A washed empty squeezy ketchup bottle (optional)
Hand mixer or whisk
Large non stick pan
Spatula

Method

In a large bowl, sieve the flour and add the two eggs
Mix gently
Add vanilla extract
Slowly pour in the milk and whisk on high until smooth

Leave mix to rest for at least an hour in the fridge. You don't have to do this but it
will be easier to work with if you do. Mix again before using.

Heat the frying pan. You want this hot before you pour any mix on

To make the ghosts you have two options

NO KETCHUP BOTTLE
If you do not have the empty ketchup bottle you can pour the mix from the bowl to
the pan using a ladle. Then slowly move the pan to create the ghost droop. You can
also use the side of a spoon to drag some of the mix down to form a ghost shape.

WITH KETCHUP BOTTLE
If you are using the ketchup bottle you will be able the "draw" the ghost a little more
accurately. Start with a circle and draw your chosen shape from there. This method
is easier for kids too. It is easier to keep them away from the pan when they are
holding the bottle. Of course insure there is a adult with them at all times as the pan will
remain very hot.

Once your ghost starts to bubble flip him/her over until cooked

Set aside to decorate

My Big Red Kitchen's TOP TIP with pancakes is to only flip them once!
This keeps them light and stops over cooking.

Happy ghost making!

Halloween!

Sunday Roast

Serves 4

450g Rump Roast
1 good sized sweet potato, peeled & chopped into chunks
8 - 10 baby potatoes, halved
200g carrot, cut into batons *
Gravy (store bought) **
100ml Red Wine
1tbsp dried Rosemary
Salt & pepper to taste
Olive oil


Roast

1 hour - 1 1/2 hours at 200C/392F

Line a roasting tray with foil
Place roast in middle and season well
Pour roughly 50ml olive oil over the roast


Sweet Potato & Potatoes

Partially boil both in a pot of boiling water until tender to the touch but not cooked through

Place onto a baking tray
Drizzle with olive oil & season with salt and pepper
Into the oven for 1/2 an hour

Carrots *

Batons are basically carrot sticks

Partially boil the chopped carrot in a separate pot of water until tender
Place onto the tray with the potatoes when they have roughly 10 mins cooking time left



Gravy **

Make gravy according to packet instructions

In a pot bring the red wine to the boil. Reduce by 1/3.
Add made gravy to the wine
Season with salt and pepper
Add 1tbsp dried Rosemary
When roast is cooked, pour the juices from the tray into the gravy and stir well

Red Pepper Pie

Serves 4

1 Red Bell Pepper, deseeded & chopped
200g Broccoli, roughly chopped with stalks
1 lrg brown onion, sliced
3 chicken breasts, sliced
4 tbsp cream cheese
Handful fresh chopped chives
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper


Very simple dish

Pre heat oven to 180C/356F

Heat oil in a pan and brown the chicken

Add the onion. Using a wooden spatula, scrape the pan to loosen any chicken bits. This adds flavour

Add red pepper & broccoli. If using frozen broccoli insure it is defrosted first

Season with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Once chicken is cooked, move all to a baking dish

In a small bowl gently mix the cream cheese and chives to combine

Spread the cream cheese over the top of the baking dish. There is no strict way to do this. You can add it in lumps too

Cover with the sheet of pastry and trim to fit

Pierce the pastry several times with a fork

You can brush the top with milk or egg to glaze (optional)

Bake until the pastry is cooked.

Around 20mins