Sunday, April 4, 2010

New Zealand - Take 2

So...it's been awhile since I blogged about my cooking experiences. And, I have fallen completely off the research train. So, I will switch to just cooking meals and not doing my research. Life is too crazy for that and I will just read what Mate tells me she is learning. But, we do have a new niece and we were in a wedding since I last wrote! Did I mention my life is crazy?!?

I did cook the second New Zealand dinner like I said in my last post. I just did not write about it. It was not nearly as impressive as the first dinner, but was still pretty good.

Chili Garlic Mushrooms - 3.5 out of 5
1/3 cup olive oil (I used a little less)
2 oz butter
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red Thai chili, finely chopped
2 lbs mushrooms
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

- Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan. Cook garlic, chili and mushrooms, stirring for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
- Add remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Otaki Potatoes - 3 from Bob (he thought they were nothing special) and 4.5 from me
4 large potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
salt and pepper
3/4 cup water
- Slice potatoes 1/2" thick.
- Heat butter in a saucepan. Add onion and cook until golden brown. Add potatoes, tomato sauce and water. Season to taste.
- Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Cottage Beef and Pasta - 4.5
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef (or veggie crumbles!)
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
14 oz canned tomatoes
1/4 cup beef stock
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
8 oz corkscrew pasta (I used penne)
2 eggs
8 oz cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

- Cook the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional one minute. Set aside.
- Add ground beef to the pan and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add onion and garlic back in. Add celery, bay leaf and dried herbs, tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and beef stock. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente.
- When meat is cooked, remove bay leaf and stir in the parsley. Mix the pasta with the meat then turn into a baking dish.
- Beat the eggs with the cottage cheese and grated cheese. Pour over the meat/pasta mixture.
- Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, until the top has browned and the sauce is bubbly.

And, that, my friends is New Zealand. Mate was here through March 12th and then headed to Australia. I will see you there!

1 comment:

  1. Congrats on your new niece! THe potatoes and mushrooms look yummers (with vegan margarine in place of butter, of course)!

    ReplyDelete