Mid Week Meals

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Chicken and Corn Soup

This meal-in-a-bowl soup is another classic from my mother’s kitchen. 

We all loved it as children, especially my sister, who has gone on to make it more often than any other family member.

My sister made some extra large quantities of this soup recently for a special family birthday. 

Picture a mountains setting on a cool but clear winters day.  There were multiple camp fires going, surrounded by log seats and camp chairs. Lunch was steaming hot mugs of this soup, or my Mum’s Chilli and baskets of chunky sourdough for dipping. 

I think we are all guilty at times of over complicating get togethers or special celebrations. We can get ourselves worked up in knots about putting on the perfect party. 

This winters afternoon we recently enjoyed, with lots of friends and family enjoying soup around the fire, was absolutely perfect. 

Fast forward a few weeks and it was my turn to host a little party for our youngest sons birthday. With the kids food sorted, thanks to a delivery of McHappy Meals (that’s for a whole other blog post!), I wanted to give the mums something simple and warm for lunch, so I made a double quantity of this soup and served it in the park in disposable coffee cups. 

I think I have said before that my boys have never LOVED soup, but as long as it’s chunky and not just hot liquid, they will eat it. 

So the baton gets passed on again. From my mum to my sister, from my sister to me.. and now me to you…..

I hope you like it x

Chicken and Corn Soup
Serves 6
A thick creamy soup, made with chicken, corn, carrot and a little curry powder.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons olive oil or 30 grams of butter
  2. 600 grams of chicken thigh fillets, excess fat removed and chopped into small pieces
  3. 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  4. 1 clove garlic, crushed
  5. 2 teaspoons curry powder (I use AYAM brand)
  6. 2 teaspoons flour
  7. 5 cups chicken stock
  8. 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  9. 1 large can creamed corn (420 grams)
  10. 3/4 cup of medium grain rice
Instructions
  1. Heat oil or butter in a large soup pot over a medium heat.
  2. Add the chicken, onion, garlic and curry powder and gently fry until onion is softened and chicken is browning.
  3. Add flour and stir.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
  5. Put a lid on, bring the soup to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
  6. Simmer gently for 30-40 minutes.
  7. Serve with coriander or flat leaf parsley.
Notes
  1. The quantity of chicken is a rough guide only. You could use less if you are on a budget, or add more if your family prefers a meaty and chunky soup.
  2. If you make this in advance, the rice will continue to absorb the liquid. To bring it back to thinner consistency, just add some extra stock when you reheat.
  3. This is very mild and family friendly. If you like more heat, add a few teaspoons more of curry powder.
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Scrambled Eggs with Goats Cheese (what to cook when you’re too tired to cook)

I feel a little sorry for the humble egg.

It’s been given a hard time for so long. The good old cholesterol drama of the last 20 years or so had many believing that the yolk was bad for you and we were encouraged to only eat eggs sparingly. Remember egg white omelettes? Seriously…what were we thinking people?

The yolk actually contains most of the important nutrients and the white is mostly protein. ALL of it is good for you. 

One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the egg. It’s such a powerhouse of nutrition, it’s inexpensive and can be cooked quickly and in a million different ways.

Here is a link to an easy-to-understand article about HOW amazing eggs actually are. It’s a must read.

My new favourite breakfast, lunch or dinner dish is this Scrambled Eggs with Goats Cheese and Rosemary. 

I first read about the combination in a beautiful book by Shauna Niequist called Bread and Wine, a love letter to life around the table (my kind of book).

This is one of those ideas that is hard to put in a recipe format. 

Basically, choose as many eggs as you wish to eat or according to how many you are feeding. This is very personal. I would eat 2 if I was making this for myself, my eldest son has been having 5 on his own lately….you see what I mean!

Pour your lightly beaten eggs into a cold non-stick frying pan and then turn on the heat. Gently, start moving the eggs around in ribbons with a spatula or whisk. I like to think of it as a gentle scramble. We all know how awful tough and chewy scrambled eggs can taste. That’s usually from too much over zealous beating and too long on the heat. 

The whole thing takes only a few minutes. When the egg is starting to look almost finished, i.e. just set, crumble in as much goats cheese (feta works well too) as you like, sprinkle in some finely chopped fresh rosemary and season with pepper. 

And there you have it. 3 ingredients, ready in about 3 minutes. 

Who said eating well had to be complicated? 

 

 

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Pumpkin & Pancetta Pasta Bake

Move over Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

This creamy pasta bake, finished with a crunchy, cheesy, spinach topping is just so good. Even the almost-5-year-old-very-fussy-at-the-moment-eater gobbled it up. 

The leek, pumpkin, pancetta and pasta cook together in a mix of stock and coconut cream. Once cooked, it’s poured into a baking dish before topping with a finely processed mix of breadcrumbs, baby spinach leaves, lemon zest and cheese.

IMG_8853

This is my version of a recipe from Delicious Magazine, August 2009. I subbed the macaroni for wholemeal penne, the cream for coconut cream, the onion for leek, and instead of parsley in the topping, I used spinach for colour and extra goodness.

You can easily make this a vegetarian dish, by leaving out the pancetta and using vegetable stock.

If you’ve been making the same pasta dish over and over for years now, I hope you’ll give this one a go! 

Enjoy x

Pumpkin & Pancetta Pasta Bake
Serves 6
A creamy pasta bake with pumpkin, pancetta, leek and rosemary, finished with a crunchy cheesy spinach topping.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
  2. 1 leek, white part only, washed and finely chopped
  3. 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  4. 100 grams pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
  5. 800 grams pumpkin, peeled, cut into small cubes (to give 3 cups)
  6. 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  7. 3 cups chicken stock
  8. 300 grams wholemeal penne
  9. 300 ml coconut cream
  10. 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  11. 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  12. Topping
  13. 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  14. zest of 1 lemon
  15. large handful of baby spinach leaves
  16. 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large frying pan.
  3. Add pancetta or bacon, leek and garlic and cook, stirring until leek is softened.
  4. Add pumpkin, chilli flakes and half the chicken stock.
  5. Cook for 6 or so minutes or until the pumpkin softens.
  6. Add the penne, coconut cream, rosemary and remaining chicken stock to the pan.
  7. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes or so, until the penne is al dente (just cooked) and the pumpkin has fallen apart and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
  8. Stir through the cheese.
  9. Pour into a medium size baking dish.
  10. Combine all the topping ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until finely processed.
  11. Cover the pasta with the topping and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
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Polenta & Herb Crumbed Fish Fillets (gluten free)

This recipe may seem a little odd, coming to you on a freezing winter’s day here in Sydney. 

As much as we love the roasts, soups and stews that we live on during winter, there are still days where we want a quick and simple protein and salad meal. 

Taken from an idea found in Delicious magazine, June 2008, this crumbed fish recipe, using polenta instead of your usual bread crumbs, gives people who are gluten free a chance to enjoy a golden crunchy topping on their fish once again. 

I usually like to buy my fish fresh, but for those days when I haven’t had the chance to get to the shops, I keep boneless and skinned firm white fish fillets in the freezer. Whether you simply pan fry them as they are, or put an easy crumb on them like this, it’s a speedy and nutritious dinner option that suits the whole family. 

If you have children who love store-bought fish fingers, then these will surely impress them.

Enjoy x

Polenta & Herb Crumbed Fish Fillets
Serves 4
Fresh herb and polenta crumbed firm white fish fillets.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup polenta
  2. zest of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges to serve
  3. a handful of fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, oregano or thyme, leaves only
  4. 1 egg
  5. 4-5 firm white fish fillets, boneless and skinless
  6. 2 tablespoons butter
  7. 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
  1. Combine polenta, zest and herbs in a food processor and blitz till combined and herbs finely chopped.
  2. Place on a plate.
  3. Whisk egg and place in a shallow bowl.
  4. Dip each fish fillet into the egg on both sides and then coat with the polenta mixture, using your fingers to press the mixture on all sides.
  5. Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan till hot, then cook 2 pieces of fish at a time, 3-5 minutes on one side and 3-4 minutes on the other. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick your fillets are.
  6. Drain on paper towel and serve with lemon wedges and salad.
Adapted from Delicious Magazine June 2008
Adapted from Delicious Magazine June 2008
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Speedy Veal Scallopini

A one-pan dish with only 5 ingredients, that takes 15 minutes to get on the table? That’s a perfect mid-week meal if you ask me. 

The one thing this delicious dish is missing in my opinion, is a load of vegetables, so serve this with a fresh crunchy salad, a big bowl of roasted vegetables or yummy mash. 

Speedy Veal Scallopini
Serves 5
Pan-fried veal topped with mozzarella, basil and prosciutto, in a tomato sauce.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 5 pieces of thin veal steaks
  2. 500 gram jar of pasta sauce or passatta
  3. 1 bunch of fresh basil
  4. 100 grams of cherry bocconcini (baby mozzarella balls)
  5. 5 slices of prosciutto
  6. 1/4 cup pitted olives (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large baking dish or frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Cook the veal for 2 minutes on each side, until lightly brown.
  3. Set aside on a plate.
  4. Pour the pasta sauce into the same pan, add a handful of fresh basil leaves and olives if using.
  5. Bring to the boil, then add the veal back into the pan.
  6. Turn off the heat.
  7. Lay the halved bocconcini balls, basil leaves and a slice of prosciutto on top of each piece of veal.
  8. Place under a hot grill for 6 minutes until the cheese has lightly melted and the prosciutto is crisp.
Notes
  1. You can used grated mozzarella instead of bocconcini balls.
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