Slow Cooker Italian Turkey Meatballs

I love turkey mince as an alternative to our usual chicken mince. It is lower in fat and has more flavour. This recipe appealed because of how easy it was to make, and the potential to make part of it ahead of time.

I used a frozen cube of pesto as additional flavour. I'd use two next time.

Next time I make it I'm going to make a double batch of the meat balls and freeze half for another meal.

The cooking time for my slow cooker was about 4 hours on low.
I served the meatballs over pasta and with vegetables and lots of grated parmesan cheese.
It went down well with all of the family. this one is a make again and will probably become a regular in our home.



This recipe comes from a website called 'Skinny Taste'

Slow Cooker Italian Turkey Meatballs
Adapted from my stove top Skinny Italian Turkey Meatball recipe.

Ingredients:

• 20 oz (1.3 lb) ground turkey breast 93% lean (I used about 700g)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Reggiano Parmigiano cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp kosher salt + fresh pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (I like Tuttorosso)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or parsley

At the start of cooking.

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients and form small meatballs, about 1/8th cup each.

In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. 

Pour crushed tomatoes into the crock pot with bay leaf. Add garlic and oil.

Drop meatballs into the sauce, cover and set crock pot to low, 4 to 6 hours. When meatballs are ready, adjust salt and pepper to taste and add fresh chopped basil or parsley.

Makes about 24 meatballs, 2 tbsp each.
Serve with ricotta, over pasta or enjoy with French bread.

Red Capsicum, Orange and Olive Salad

This salad is easy to make and goes really well with Spanish Orange and Rosemary Chicken.
I prepared the dressing and roasted the capsicums the day before

Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Salad
3 red capsicum, roasted, peeled, deseeded and sliced
2 large oranges, peeled, halved and sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup green olives
2 tbsp chapped flat leaf parsley

To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients and set aside until required.
Place the capsicum, oranges, red onion, tomatoes and olives into a salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Charred Capsicum - Handy hint

I'm not sure where I heard about this idea...but it involved holding the capsicum over the cooker flame. Being in a bit of a rush, it just seemed easier to do three at a time with them sitting on the cooker. They need to be really really black to make it easier to peel them. Once really black, put them on a plastic bag to sweat and cool - this loosens the skin.
My learning from this experience though is not to use plastic tongs to turn them.
I plan to use them in a salad to go with Spanish Orange and Rosemary Chicken tomorrow night.

Vegetable Balti - Asian vegetable curry

This recipe was in my most recent Cuisine magazine and is a 'make again' one. It had a real depth of flavour and wasn't too difficult to make. The best part of the process was crushing the spices after they had been roasted - the smell amazing. I used a pestle and mortar rather than the back of a knife because I don't like big chunks of spices in meals.
The chillies I used can't have been too hot, the meal was pretty mild but good for little people eating it!
I have to admit to purchasing ready made Nann bread which I heated in a dry pan. They were pretty good and a welcome addition to scoop up the left over sauce.







Vegetable Balti 
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
4 tbsp vege oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
375g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
300 g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm dice
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vege stock
150g button mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp tomato paste
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
300g baby spinach
2 tsp mango chutney (or other sweet chutney)
flat bread or steamed rice to serve

In a hot wok, dry fry the fennel, cumin, cardamom and coriander seeds for two minutes or until they start to pop. Pour out of wok on to a chopping board and set aside to cool.
Heat the oil in the wok then stir fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic. Add the chillies and fry for a further 2 minutes then add the chick peas and pumpkin.
Crush the whole toasted seeds wit the back of large knife then combine with the turmeric and cinnamon. Add to the wok and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the vegetables in spices. Add the stock then stir in the mushroom and tomato paste and cook for 2 minis or until the mushrooms start to colour.

Stir in the tomatoes, spinach and chutney, along with 3-4 tbsp of water - just enough to make a sauce consistency. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Season the curry with white pepper and salt then serve with hot flat bread or steamed rice.

Lolly Cake

Well this one isn't a memory from my childhood but it is certainly a favourite of Isabella (4 years). She has been asking to make this for ages. I figured it couldn't be too hard...and it wasn't!
This will be added to my birthday party repertoire in the years to come.







Ingredients

• 1 packet of Malt biscuits
• half a tin of condensed milk
• 100g butter
• 1 packet of eskimo lollies

Directions
Crush malt biscuits, and cut eskimo lollies into small pieces. Melt the butter, and condensed milk in the microwave. Then mix all ingredients together. Roll into a log, and wrap in grease paper, or flaten into a tray and put into the fridge to set.

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

I have tried a few different versions of chocolate self saucing puddings. While they are all really nice, this one had a really light cake part. I made the mistake of doubling this the first time I made it and we ended up eating it for a week. It was still great heated from the fridge.
Unfortunately the picture isn't the best. I forgot to take a picture before we ate it the first time...I was too eager to just eat!

Ingredients

• 100gm Butter
• 1C Sugar
• 2Tbs Coco powder
• 1 1/3C Flour
• 4tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2/3 C Milk
• ½ tsp vanilla essence

• 1 C Brown sugar
• ½ C white sugar
• 4 Tbs Coco Powder
• 2 C Boiling water

Directions

1. Turn oven on to 180C Bake.
2. Melt the butter and mix in the sugar and coco powder.
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.
4. Mix in milk and vanilla.
5. Put into a dish so it comes no more than 1/3 up the side (cos it boils, and will mess up your oven) 20x25cm is good.
6. Put brown and white sugar, and coco powder on top.
7. Just before it goes into the oven carefully pour the boiling water over a spoon onto the mixture.
8. Bake for 40 minutes at 180C.
9. Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

This recipe is one we have made several times in our family. While it takes a bit of time, it really is easy and very yummy. My gnocchi is always really rustic looking - no perfect little discs in sight!

I never use pre-made pasta sauce because it really is pretty easy to make your own and home made is always so much better. My recipe for a tomato pasta sauce has no precise measurements but you can guarantee it will always have tomato, onion and loads of garlic.


Potato Gnocchi
500g of cooked floury potatoes (ideally baked with skins on to keep them really dry, but peeled and boiled is fine too)
1 egg yolk
1 cup of flour
3 tablespoons of parmesan (I use a bit more)

Mash and measure 2 cups of potato into a large bowl. Mix in yolk, parmesan, 1/4 tsp of salt and some black pepper. Slowly add flour until you have a slightly sticky dough.

Knead for 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth.

Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll each portion on a lightly floured surface to form a thin sausage shape about 2cm thick.

Cut rolls into 2.5 cm thick shapes. Press into an oval in palm of hand against a floured fork.
As you make them place on a lightly floured baking tray and cover with a tea towel until ready to use.

Cook gnocchi in batches in a large pan of salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. Gnocchi will float to the surface when cooked. Drain well before serving.

Tomato Sauce

2-5 cloves of garlic crushed or finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1 stick of celery finely diced

1 anchovy fillet

olive oil

2 tins of crushed tomatoes

2 tbs tomato paste

1 tsp of sugar

chopped fresh herbs - basil, thyme, oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Slowly sweat the garlic, onion, celery and anchovy in oil until soft. Add tomatoes, paste and sugar and salt and pepper. You may want to blend it at this stage or leave it chunky.  Add fresh chopped herbs just before serving.