The Hangry Chef

Who loves a good shepherd's pie? I know I do! It's not something I have often cooked but now I'm a mum, I'm on the search for things that are nutritious, don't take ages to prepare and I can portion and freeze for convenience. This is definitely one of those recipes, especially with the hidden veggies- your kids will love it! You will need.. For the filling- 1kg beef mince 2 zucchinis (small-medium/ or one large) 2 carrots (as above) 1 brown onion 1 clove garlic 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 beef stock cube 1 cup water 3 bay leaves 1 tsp dried mixed herbs salt and pepper to season 1 cup frozen peas For the topping- 1-1.5kgs of washed potatoes 1 cup salt (to salt-bake the potatoes) 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp milk 1/2 cup parmesan cheese Method... 1. Start by preheating your oven to 220 degrees celsius. Pour the cup of salt into a baking tray and place the potatoes on top. Put the ...

You will need... 400gr pork mince 1 tsp fennel seeds (more or less depending on how much you like fennel flavour!) 1 small brown onion 2 garlic cloves 500ml passata 1 zucchini (optional) olive oil 1/2 tsp sugar 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic salt and pepper to taste 1/2 packet spaghetti (2-3 serves) 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Method... Peel and finely dice the onion, peel and crush the garlic. Quarter lengthways and dice the zucchini. Wash and pick the parsley and roughly chop. In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tsp of olive oil. Add the onion and cook on low until soft and transparent for 5-6 minutes.  Add the garlic and fennel, then cook until fragrant. Turn heat to medium-high and add the meat. Cook until browned, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon. Once meat is browned, add the passata, zucchini, salt and pepper. Reduce to low and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water...

I always have something like these in my freezer, they're really a no-rules snack and go great in lunchboxes, for on-the-go breakfast or just some afternoon tea. You can eat them cold, reheat them in the oven or microwave and they're goooood! You will need.. 2 medium zucchinis 2 medium carrots 1 garlic clove 1/2 brown onion 1/2 cup of chopped spinach 2 sprigs parsley, chopped 6 cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup of feta 4 eggs 1 tsp lemon zest (optional) 3 Tbsp olive oil salt and pepper Method... Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan forced) and grease a 12-hole muffin tray with cooking spray (you can also use oil or butter if you prefer)  Wash all the veggies and herbs. Cut the ends off the zucchini and carrot and grate (don't bother peeling the carrot) squeeze out excess liquid. Peel the skin off the onion and hold by the root, grate it finely. Crush the garlic Combine the grated vegetables with the garlic, chopped spinach and parsley, a...

Thirty minutes is all it takes to make this tasty dinner. I admit I got this one from Hellofresh. Some of their recipes are so good, we make them now even though we are no longer using the service! You can find the recipe here  , I haven't changed much, only quantified the ingredients they haven't, because they supply you with the tubs all measured out ready to go. You will need...  1 small brown onion 1 clove garlic 300gr pork mince 2 Tbsp of chermoula spice mix (recipe on my blog here ) 1 salt-reduced chicken stock cube 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup water (for the pork) 3 Tbsp tomato paste 3 Tbsp mango chutney 1 cup couscous 1/5 cups water (for the couscous) olive oil salt and pepper 1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes 2 sprigs mint 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar  pinch white sugar Method... Peel and finely dice the onion, mince the garlic. Heat a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the almonds. Cook, until golden...

You will need... 12 green banana prawns, peeled 10 cherry tomatoes, halved 3 medium zucchinis 3 cloves garlic 1 lemon, zest and juice 1 shallot, washed 2 sprigs basil salt pepper olive oil Method Prepare your zucchinis, wash and trim the ends then spiralize them to your desired thickness (I prefer to keep them thicker as they stay crisp and don't go soggy so quickly Zest and juice your lemon, removing any pits Crush the garlic, slice the shallot Wash, pick and chop the basil Mix the garlic, a Tbsp olive oil and half the lemon zest with the prawns, add a pinch of salt and pepper (you can do this in advance if you would like to marinate them!) Heat a pan on high. Add the prawns and let brown before turning. While pan is still on high, add the shallots and tomato and toss to coat.  Quickly add the zoodles and then the lemon juice, salt, pepper and another dash of olive oil. Toss and allow to cook briefly for 3-5 minutes until zucchini is just warmed. Sprink...

I will admit that the first time I heard the term 'Lactation Cookies' I was a bit confused. Like, are they biscuits made out of breast milk that you give to children? While I'm sure that recipe exists, I'm happy to report that these biscuits are actually to aid in increasing breastfeeding mothers milk supply.  I got a couple of different recipes from a few different sources and combined them to make my own frankenrecipe. They turned out to be delicious and I ended up making about 4kgs worth, rolling into logs and freezing so I could defrost a log at a time, cut and bake 10-12 biscuits and eat them fresh as I went. Long story short, I didn't get the benefit of them and my breastfeeding journey was woefully short but I know this recipe has helped other breastfeeding mothers and they definitely taste delicious and are an excellent snack for those early days when you crave sugar and easy food to keep you going through early parenthood. This recipe cont...

You will need... 1 kg chicken thigh, bone out, skin off 1 tin diced Italian tomatoes 1/2 cup water 1 pkt taco seasoning (30gr) or you can make your own recipe link at bottom of post. 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp white sugar 1 tin black beans 1 brown onion olive oil Method Preheat slow cooker to high Peel and dice the onion. In a non-stick pan, sweat off the onion over a low heat in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until transparent Remove the onion and then turn pan heat to high. Add the chicken, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Sear until brown on both sides then transfer to slow cooker with the onion. Drain and rinse black beans, add to slow cooker, add remaining ingredients then stir to coat thighs. Cook on high setting for 1.5-2hrs. This will depend on your slow cooker, ideally you want the thighs to easily be pulled apart with tongs or a fork. Remove chicken thighs, place in a tray and pull into desired sized chunks. Leave sauce to simmer in slow cooker if you would lik...

You will need 1 x 165ml tin of coconut milk 3/4 cup basmati or jasmine rice 1 cup water pinch salt Method Rinse and drain rice under cold water Combine coconut milk and water in a heavy based saucepan and bring to a simmer Add rice and salt, allow to come to the boil then cover with a lid and place on a very low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Serve Image credit https://www.livestrong.com/article/409614-the-health-benefits-of-coconut-milk/

Taco spice mix 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 1 tsp dried coriander leaves Combine all together and use as desired, store in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Chermoula spice mix 2 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1.5 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground turmeric As above, combine all together, store in a ziplock bag or airtight container,

I love anything with flaky delish pastry, adding meat and/or cheese brings me nothing but joy (and probably explains my high cholesterol 😆) this burek recipe is probably something I wouldn't attempt normally but we made it at work and it was so yummy I wondered where it had been all my life. I'll note that I used store-bought filo pastry rather then making the proper pastry. Hats off to all the baba's out there slaving away to stretch and pull filo from scratch but I don't have the patience to do that at this point, but if someone has a sweet old baba who would like to show me I'll never say no!! You will need... 1 small brown onion, peeled and finely diced 400gr beef mince 1/2 cup picked parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 4 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 extra teaspoon for cooking 2 eggs (if using large or jumbo eggs only use one) 4 Tbsp Greek yoghurt (unflavoured, natural) 3 Tbsp water 12 sheets filo pastry Canola spray for greasing Lemo...

You will need... 5 small-medium sized red capsicums 300gr quinoa 600ml chicken stock 200gr tinned cherry tomatoes 150gr chorizo 1 small red onion 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 heaped teaspoon of paprika 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 bunch parsley, washed and finely chopped 1/2 cup pinenuts 2 Tbsp lemon juice (add a bit of grated rind too if you like) 2 cups cheese (I used grated cheddar) Method.. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Spray a large, deep baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse and drain quinoa, place in a heavy-based saucepan with the stock and tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until quinoa is soft and liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion and chorizo. Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick frypan and cook on med-low until onion is softened and chorizo lightly browned. If chorizo has leached oil- drain on absorbent paper towel.  Once quinoa is cooked, add onion and chorizo m...

I've been so busy the last few weeks that I haven't had a chance to upload this recipe from Easter. I had a few weeks off work recently and I ate my weight in sugary treats like this one. I don't regret a thing- except for the fact that my jeans button is about to pop and take out an unsuspecting passerby. I didn't do too much of my own cooking while I was off work, mainly opting to eat out ( Patissez for a Freakshake, Mama's Buoi for yummy Vietnamese fare.. Not to mention eating at local spots- including Crafted LIVE a BBQ and Beer festival).. But I did decide to crack out a diabetes extravaganza for Easter. It's a simple Oreo cheesecake, but I overloaded it with Easter eggs, more Oreos of the peanut butter kind and persian fairy floss. You don't need to go crazy and add all the stuff I did, the cheesecake on its own is delicious and rich but in my 'expert' (fatty) opinion I think it needs some sugary glamorisation. You will need... ...

So I overindulged over the weekend, which is usually standard practise but this weekend was extra-indulgent because I turned THIRTY. Yep, I'm officially an adult. NO! You can't make me!!! Ok, but really, I celebrated turning thirty by pretty much eating and drinking all weekend. Needless to say my thirty-year old body is not what it once was and I am feeling the pain of the rich food overload. In true old-lady style I thought I would make a hearty yet healthy dinner on Monday night to sort-of balance out all the pizza, fries and cake I ate over the weekend, so putting some turkey mince to good use I make some gluten-free meatballs in a nice rich tomato sauce with some green beans on the side (and not a starchy vegetable in sight!) You will need... 500gr turkey mince 1 large egg 1/4 cup gluten free flour such as rice or coconut flour 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil 100gr skinned and finely diced chorizo sausage (cos the thing needs some flavour!) 1/2 a large brown on...

I have finally decided to try my hand at Croissants, they have always daunted me for some reason. It's probably because I'm not a one for patience, which is one of the main ingredients in croissant-making. I've rarely made puff pastry, opting for store bought every time. I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm just not interested in spending such a huge amount of time laminating dough (you know, all the folding of the butter in the dough so you get all the layers required in a good puff). But I'm conquering my fears and making croissants which uses the same technique of laminating dough, with the added fun of using a yeast-risen dough (yay more waiting). So here goes my first attempt at croissants... I was already worried when the recipes I looked up online told me that I definitely WOULD NOT get these right the first time. Well, thanks for the vote of confidence guys! I feel like maybe this doesn't apply to me seeing as these recipes are targeted at at-ho...