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Eating In
© Hepatitis SA First published 2021 SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.
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Foreword W
toast.
hen I was a prisoner in mainstream, I was surviving mainly on fruit and
The reasons for that were complex, but the upshot was when I transferred to prerelease and allowed to cook for myself, I realised that I hadn’t actually cooked a meal in at least five years! The last time I had any relationship with food before that was when I worked as a short-order cook after (almost) completing a pre-vocational commercial cookery course at Adelaide TAFE. My lifestyle at the time ensured that I didn’t complete that certificate.
I couldn’t recall the last time I had cooked an actual meal for myself. My chaotic life had put food very low down on my list of priorities for many years. My food preparation experience acquired through various jobs was enough for me to cook the basics, but the limited ingredients, my restrictive budget and limited cooking utensils at the Adelaide Pre-release Centre (APC) back then meant that I continued to live mostly on fruit and toasties. I looked for inspiration in recipe books and magazines available around the APC but most of them required at least one ingredient that was unavailable, and ingredient quantities were usually given
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in grams or ounces – there was no way of working out the correct conversion into cups or tablespoons which were the only measuring equipment that we had in our cottage.
The journey back For about five years after my release, I worked really hard to make positive changes in my life. I kept to myself, ignored previous friendship groups, changed my phone number and slowly reduced off pharmacotherapy. Each day I became more confident that I wouldn’t relapse. I had few skills and a criminal record and was unsure what to do with my life, other than to be a better parent to my child, who was by then just starting school. Still unsure of what I would like to do for a job, I sat for adult entry to university to get some kind of qualification and enrolled into a Bachelor of Arts at Flinders Uni which provided the broadest range of courses for someone like me who still didn’t know what they wanted to be when they grew up. I was drawn most to Criminology and Sociology but while the subjects were interesting on paper I felt I needed practical experience. I applied, and was accepted, to work as a volunteer at an organisation which supported prisoners and their families.
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After proving myself a reliable and motivated volunteer for 12 months, I was offered a job which included providing hepatitis C transmission and prevention information to prisoners and their families. It was in this role that I once again came across the challenges of cooking while inside prison, though this time it was from the outside. Prisoners I had contact with would ask for recipe books, reminding me that most of the recipes in magazines called for wine or other ingredients that they could not get.
hepatitis C I was asked if we had any recipe books. I have our liver-friendly recipe book Eat Well for Your Liver but, again, many of the ingredients are not available unless prisoners can afford to do a special buy. That was something I could not afford when I was in there; no doubt there will be many others like me. The result is this recipe book. Tailored for people in South Australian prisons who are allowed to cook for themselves, Eating In presents recipes that have been specially selected for people who selfcater on the inside. All of the ingredients included in each recipe were available on the Adelaide Pre-Release Centre “Provisions Order Form” at the time this book was produced. We understand that this list of ingredients may have changed, that other locations may have a broader range of ingredients and that some people can afford to request special buys – but we wanted to create a recipe book that is based on the most basic buy list to ensure that it is as inclusive as possible.
Today, after five years in that first organisation, followed by nine years as a drug and alcohol counsellor, and during all those years undertaking lots of professional development (certificates, qualifications and training), I work with Hepatitis SA as a peer coordinating their support program for the community. Part of my work takes me back to prisons, talking to people about hepatitis, its effects on the liver and their health, how to protect themselves from it, how to look after their liver and sharing my lived experience with hepatitis C. When we talk about liver health, the discussion invariably turns to healthy eating, and I am again reminded of the limitations and challenges of cooking inside. While speaking with prisoners at the Adelaide Pre-release Centre about
In this recipe book we also provide some basic food handling and hygiene tips about cooking and food storage that everyone should be aware of no matter where they are.
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You will also find a conversion chart that may be helpful if you don’t have either a measuring cup or scales, particularly if you find a recipe in a magazine that you’d like to try but are unsure of how to convert the measurements or temperatures into something you can use. We received recipe contributions from Hepatitis SA staff and the community, including members of the Local Exchange and Trading System (LETS). Many of the recipes were tested by prisoners who told us what they thought of them and what they would like to see more of in the book. Happily the feedback was 100% positive! Note: Eating In is not a liver health recipe book. For that we have Eat Well for Your Liver and Eating Low Salt for people who need to reduce salt in their diet due to liver disease. In addition, see ‘Tips for Healthy Eating’ on page 52, which includes pointers from Wellbeing SA nutritionist Jo Hartley.
The Hepatitis SA Information and Resources Team are always open to more ideas for resources that work for people in different situations. So if you have any suggestions, give us a call: just ring us on 1800 HEP ABC or on the Freecall Prisonline #8 on the Common Access List from any prison telephone. But what about hepatitis, I hear you ask. Didn’t they say there’s a cure? YES. I was cured with the direct-acting antivirals in 2016: just pills, once a day for 12 weeks. If you want to know that story, go to the end of this book. Lisa Carter Coordinator Information & Support Hepatitis SA
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Contents
9 Veggie Scrambled Eggs (On Toast)
30 One-Pot Strog
10 Mixed Vegetable Soup
31 Meatballs & Mashed Potato
11 Zucchini Slice
32 Cottage Pie
12 Cheesy Sweetcorn Fritters
33 Spanish Beef
13 Baked Sweet Potato Fries & Honey Mustard Dip
34 Beef Stew with (or Without) Dumplings
14 Peach Salad
35 Dumplings
15 Capsicum & Philly Muffins
36 Lovely Lamb Chops & Salad
16 Easy Cheesy Puffs
38 One-Dish Pork Feast
17 Tzatziki Dip
39 Crispy Smashed Potatoes
18 Easy Hummus Dip
40 Moroccan Style Chicken & Sauce with Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Bake
19 Roasted Capsicum Dip 20 Pita Chips
42 Melting Moments 43 Peach Dump Cake
22 Vegetable Stack with Peanut Sauce 23 Finger-Lickin’ Thai Chicken Balls
44 Lemon Cheesecake
24 Chicken (or Fish) & Creamy Garlic Sauce with Roasted Potatoes & Greens
45 Sponge Cake 46 Easy Apple Crumble
26 Triple-S Chicken
47 Bread & Butter Pudding
27 Italian Chicken Bake
48 Golden Syrup Dumplings
28 Sticky Soy Chicken Maryland 29 Spaghetti Bolognaise
49 Food Safety 50 Helpful Conversions 52 Tips for Healthy Eating
“I would recommend these to others because they’re easy to follow and in most everyday pantries.” —Lindon
“All of these recipes are worth recommending to others.” —Will
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Light
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Veggie Scrambled Eggs (on toast) Makes 2 serves
Ingredients • ½ red onion • 3 mushrooms • 1 small capsicum (or half a red capsicum and half a green capsicum) • 1 large tomato (or 5 cherry tomatoes) • 3 eggs • ½ cup sour cream • ¾ cup of milk
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light sprinkle of salt (optional) sprinkle of pepper 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic 2 tablespoons of olive oil 4 slices of brown bread 1 tablespoon of margarine
Method Roughly dice the red onion, mushrooms, capsicum, and tomato into small cubes. Put aside. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, salt (if desired), pepper, oregano and garlic. Then set the bowl to one side. In a frying pan, turn on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and onions. Cook until they are soft. Once soft, push the mushrooms and onion to the outer edge of the frying pan (away from the heat). Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan, add the capsicum and tomatoes. Cook until the capsicum is soft and slightly brown. Mix all of the contents of the frying pan together. Pour the contents of the bowl over the contents of the frying pan on medium heat. Mix contents together until the eggs are cooked and browning. Toast the bread, and spread with margarine. Put the contents of the frying pan on top of the toast.
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Vegetable Soup Makes 6 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •
1 teaspoon of oil 2 onions 2 sticks of celery 3 potatoes 1 cup of broccoli (peeled and chopped stems) 4 mushrooms 1 cup of cauliflower ½ cup of cabbage 2 cloves of garlic ¼ of a butternut pumpkin
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½ cup of corn ½ a sweet potato light sprinkle of salt to taste (optional) pepper to taste ½ a cup of green beans 1 tablespoon of chicken booster or vegetable booster • 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs (optional) • ½ teaspoon of mustard (optional) • ¼ cup of yoghurt (optional)
Method Peel and finely dice the onions and garlic. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and fry until softened or lightly golden. Peel and chop potatoes into quarters, add to the saucepan. Chop all the other vegetable into small pieces, add to the saucepan. Add cold water to the saucepan (fill almost to the top), add salt (if desired), pepper, booster, mustard. Return saucepan to the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer until the potatoes are soft when you push a fork into them (20-25 minutes). Add yoghurt if desired, stir through and serve. All vegetables are optional and can be substituted with whatever vegetables you have. You can also add a can of cannellini beans (rinse them well before adding). “Healthy and wholesome!” —Fee
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Zucchini Slice Makes 6-8 serves
Ingredients • 2 zucchinis • 1 large onion • 6 slices of ham • 6 eggs • 1 cup (about 100g) tasty cheese • 1 cup of self raising flour • 1 teaspoon of margarine or canola oil For a vegetarian version, leave out the ham and add a little more cheese
Method Pre-heat oven to 170°C. Finely chop onion into 1cm cubes. Finely chop ham. Fry the onion until slightly brown. Grate the zucchinis. Grate the cheese. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg with a fork until the white and yolk are thoroughly combined. Add the cheese, zucchini, flour, ham and onion to the eggs and mix together thoroughly. Grease a loaf tin or baking dish with the margarine, butter or oil so that the mix won’t stick to it during the baking process. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin or baking dish. Place in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve hot or cold. “You can eat this hot or cold. I used to cook this but forgot the recipe, so it was great to be able to cook it again. It is one of my faves.” —Nicole
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Cheesy Sweet Corn Fritters Makes 6 fritters
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
1 cup defrosted frozen sweetcorn ½ a red onion 1 cup grated cheese 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons plain flour Salt (optional) and pepper to taste (can also add chilli or other spices) 2 tablespoons of oil
Method Put all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and milk together with a fork and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix well and leave for ½ hour (in the refrigerator if possible). Heat the oil in a frying pan on a high temperature; the oil should sizzle if you add a drop of the mix. Put large spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and immediately turn down the heat to low (the mix needs to cook all the way through without burning. Turn the fritters once the underside is firm and golden brown. Serve with a salad, sauce of your choice, or can be used instead of meat in a burger.
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Baked Sweet Potato Fries & Honey Mustard Dip Makes 2 serves as a snack or side dish
Ingredients Chips • 1 sweet potato (pictured) • ½ teaspoon of salt (optional) • 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
Dip • 1 cup of mayonnaise • 1 or 2 teaspoons of American Mustard • 1 tablespoon of honey • 1 teaspoon of white vinegar • Optional seasonings: 1 pinch of garlic powder, paprika or pepper
Method Chips Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Wash, and peel the sweet potatoes, then slice into thin sticks. (You can leave them as thick or as thin as you want. I usually like to go a little thinner so they cook faster). Take a thin slice off one side first, then put that flat side to the chopping board to make it safer to chop. Spread the chips out evenly on a baking tray or dish, sprinkle with olive oil and season with the salt (if desired) and pepper. Place the tray on a low shelf in the heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy (longer if sliced thicker). Dip Mix together the mayo, mustard, seasonings, vinegar, and honey in a bowl. Whisk until smooth, and then it’s ready to use. Store in the fridge if using later, will last up to a month (see p49 for food handling and storage information).
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Peach Salad Makes 4 serves
Ingredients • 1 can (or jar) of peaches or 2 fresh peaches, if available (could substitute with apples, pineapple pieces, pears, or nuts) • 1 cup of juice from the tinned fruit (if using fresh fruit, you will need 1 cup of fruit juice or water) • 1 teaspoon of olive oil or cooking oil • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional) • ½ teaspoon of salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of pepper • 1 teaspoon of white vinegar (or brown: balsamic is best if available) • 1 small red onion • 1 small capsicum • 2 large tomatoes • 1 carrot • 1 small cucumber • 1 small lettuce
Method Open the tin of peaches, keep 1 cup of the juice and drain the rest away, (or if using fresh fruit, wash it, then slice into wedges). In a frying pan add olive oil and place over medium high heat. Coat the peaches with the brown sugar, salt (if desired), pepper and cinnamon, and then fry until golden and caramelized, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove the peaches from the pan and place in a large salad bowl. To the frying pan add the saved peach juice (juice or water) and vinegar, fry this mixture for a minute or two. Allow the syrup to cool before using it as the salad dressing. Wash all the other ingredients, and drain them well. Tear up the lettuce and slice the red onion, capsicum, cucumber and tomato, chop or grate the carrot and place in the bowl with the caramelised peaches. Toss the salad gently so as not to smash the fruit. Pour the cooled dressing over the salad, then serve while the peaches are warm (it can be put in the fridge for later). This salad can be a meal on its own or eaten with the protein of your choice e.g. a tin of tuna, steak, or see other recipes in this book for ideas.
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Capsicum & Philly Muffins Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 cup plain flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ a small red capsicum, chopped into small pieces ½ cup (Philadelphia) cream cheese 1 cup tasty cheese, grated 1 egg, lightly beaten ½ cup water ¼ cup milk ½ cup of olive oil light sprinkle of salt (optional) ½ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Oil a muffin tray with canola oil and set aside, or use about 12 patty pans on an oven tray. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, tasty cheese, mixed herbs, capsicum and salt (if desired) and pepper. In a jug, combine the egg, milk, water and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and using a spatula carefully mix until all ingredients are just combined. Spoon into muffin tin (or patty pans) using a tablespoon. Use a teaspoon to put a scoop of Philadelphia cream cheese in the middle of each muffin, then bake 20-25 minutes. Note: The herbs I use are oregano, basil and rosemary. Thyme would go well too.
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Easy Cheesy Puffs
Makes 12 puffs
Ingredients • • • • • • •
½ cup of milk 1 egg 2 cups of grated cheese (about 200 grams) 1 cup of self-raising flour 1 tablespoon of flour (for the baking tray to stop them from sticking) 6 slices of ham 1 small onion
Method Preheat oven to 200°C. Grate the cheese. Chop the ham into 1cm squares. Finely dice the onion. Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour evenly onto the baking tray. Put the egg into a bowl and beat it lightly with a fork until white and yellow is completely mixed together. Add the milk, flour, cheese, ham and onion and mix well. Drop large teaspoons full of the mixture onto the floured baking tray. Space them evenly a few centimetres apart. Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden on top. (Mixture made about 12 but only 6 made it to the plate for the picture; they are that yummy!)
“Quick and simple with basic ingredients!” —Matthew
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Tzatziki Dip Makes 1 ½ cups of dip
Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 large cucumber pinch of salt (optional) ½ teaspoon of pepper 1 teaspoon of white vinegar 1 clove of garlic 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 cup of plain yoghurt (or sour cream)
Method Wash and peel the cucumber, then grate it into a large bowl, using a cheese-grater. Drain off excess juices, squeezing the grated cucumber with clean hands while tipping the liquid away. Peel and crush the garlic clove. In another bowl, add the salt (if desired), pepper, vinegar and olive oil and garlic, to the yoghurt or sour cream, then mix together until combined. Add the creamy mix to the grated cucumber and mix well. Refrigerate until needed. Serve as a dip for vegetable sticks such as carrot, capsicum and pita bread. It could be added to a lamb or chicken pita wrap with lettuce and tomato, or on baked potatoes!
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Easy Hummus Dip Makes 1 ½ cups of dip
Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
1 can of chickpeas 4 tablespoons of water 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced ½ teaspoon of mixed spice light pinch of salt (optional) ½ teaspoon of pepper Vegetables to dip and eat (e.g carrot sticks, celery)
Method Drain and rinse the chickpeas. (If you have a food processor, all ingredients can be blended together, to a paste). Mash the chickpeas with a fork, potato masher, mortar and pestle, or place them in a clean/sturdy bag (place the bag on a chopping board and warn other people that you are about to make a lot of noise) and bash/crush the chickpeas with a rolling pin, into a smooth paste (the dip in the picture was made with the bag and rolling pin method). Peel and mince the garlic. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl to mix thoroughly. Serve with an assortment of chopped vegetables.
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Roasted Capsicum Dip Makes 1½ cups of dip
Ingredients • • • • • • •
2 large red capsicums 2 cloves of garlic ¼ of a teaspoon of ground chilli (optional) 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 block Philadelphia cream cheese (250g) light pinch of salt (optional) 1 teaspoon of pepper
Method Pre-heat oven to 220°C. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge (it’ll be easier to work with). Wash, then core the capsicum (remove seeds) chop into quarters. Spread out evenly on a baking tray, skin side up, sprinkle with olive oil. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on the baking tray with the capsicum and roast in the pre-heated oven. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 30 minutes (could be done under a grill on high heat but you will need to watch them closely). When the capsicum is charred and blistered, place it into a large bowl and tightly cover the bowl with cling film. Let sit, so it steams itself for about 10 minutes. Peel the garlic, mash it and put it into a bowl with the olive oil, (optional ground chilli), salt and pepper and mix it together. Peel the skin off the capsicum, if it is not peeling away easily (it should after steaming) you can carefully scrape the flesh of the capsicum from the skin using a knife (filleting knives work well). Discard the skin and mash/finely chop the capsicum and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Blend really well using a fork, then serve with pita chips (see next page), carrot sticks or other sliced vegetables.
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Pita Chips Makes 8 wedges
Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 round of pita bread (makes the amount shown in picture) 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or cooking oil) ½ teaspoon of pepper light pinch of salt (optional) 1 clove of finely chopped or crushed garlic (optional) ½ teaspoon of mixed herbs (optional) ½ teaspoon of mixed spices (optional)
Method Preheat oven to 200°C. In a small bowl, mix the oil with the salt (if desired), pepper, herbs or spices. Using a pastry brush, (or clean fingers) coat the pita bread with the mixture. Cut pita bread into 8 triangles. Place on baking tray, evenly spaced, so the pieces are not overlapping. Bake in the pre-heated oven (on a low shelf) for about 7 minutes, or until lightly brown and crispy, (keep an eye on them as they can burn easily). Once they have cooled, these can be stored in an airtight container, ready to eat with your favourite dip!
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Mains
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Vegetable Stack with Peanut Sauce Makes 2 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
1 capsicum (any colour) 1 red onion 1 large or 2 small zucchini 4-6 mushrooms 1 clove of garlic 2 tablespoons of oil light pinch of salt (optional) 2 teaspoons of pepper
Sauce • ½ cup of peanut butter • Juice of 1 lemon • 1 tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce (or use ¼ teaspoon chilli powder and 1 teaspoon of sugar) • 2 teaspoons of soy sauce • 200ml tin of coconut cream
Method Chop vegetables into large chunks. Put together into a bowl with the clove of crushed garlic and the oil. Cover and let marinate while you make the peanut sauce.
Peanut Sauce Place a saucepan over low heat and add the peanut butter, lemon juice, sweet chilli and soy sauce. Once the peanut butter has melted a little pour the coconut cream in and stir together well and let simmer on a low heat while you cook the veggies. Thin the sauce with a little water if you prefer.
Vegetables Heat a grill to medium/high heat. Put all the veggies on the grill tray in one layer. Grill until they start to brown and then turn them over - the veggies may cook at different rates so you’ll need to watch them. Can be served as a stack or with rice (or noodles). Left over sauce can be frozen. “Easy and delicious!”
—Stephen
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Finger-Lickin’ Thai Chicken Balls
Makes 25 chicken balls
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
500g of minced chicken* ¼ cup of oyster sauce 2 large cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon of self raising flour (and a bit extra to flour the baking tray) 2 teaspoons of fish sauce ½ cup of coriander leaves 2/3 cup of coconut cream 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce
Method Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Chop coriander leaves. Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic cloves. Combine mince, oyster sauce, garlic, flour, fish sauce, coriander, and coconut cream in a large bowl, mix them all together thoroughly. Sprinkle some flour on the baking tray to help prevent the balls from sticking to it. Wet your hands with water, so that the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands. Roll the mixture into balls, using a tablespoon to measure the amount of mixture for each ball. Place onto the baking tray. You will need to wet your hands between each ball. Alternatively, you can spoon mixture into patty pans. Bake the balls in the pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked. Serve with soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce for dipping, and with a salad or vegies to make a meal. *If you don’t have chicken mince or a food processor, and don’t mind a bit of work, you can finely chop skinless, boneless chicken, then put it into a plastic bag and beat it with a meat tenderiser or rolling pin until it is minced.
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Chicken (or Fish) & Creamy Garlic Sauce with Roasted Potatoes & Greens Makes 2 serves or 4 if your potatoes and fillets are large
Ingredients • • • • • •
¼ cup of olive oil 2 large potatoes 1 zucchini ½ a head of broccoli 2 chicken fillets or hake fillets 1 clove of garlic
• • • •
1 cup of cream or yoghurt 1 teaspoon of chicken booster 1 teaspoon of pepper Small bunch of fresh chives (if you can get them)
Method Preheat oven to 240°C. Wash, and then cut the potatoes (unpeeled) into 1cm chunks. Spread the potato pieces out evenly, on a large oven tray or baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season with a pinch of pepper and toss to coat. Roast until tender, 20-25 minutes. While the potato is roasting, chop the broccoli into small florets. Thinly slice the zucchini into rounds. Finely chop the garlic (and chives, if you are including them). Place your hand flat on top of chicken breast and use a sharp knife to slice through horizontally to make two thin steaks. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Season the chicken (or fish) on both sides with pepper. In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until cooked through, 3-5 minutes on each side (depending on thickness). (If using fish, place the fillets into the hot pan- skin side first. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the skin is beginning to crisp, then turn the fillets over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes).
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Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. If your pan is getting crowded, cook in batches for best results. Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Add the broccoli, then a splash of water and cook until starting to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini, season with pepper and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Return the frying pan to a medium-low heat, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute (can add a splash of water to prevent burning). Add the cream or yoghurt, (optional chives) and chicken booster, and cook, scraping up any meaty bits from the pan, until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add any resting juices from the chicken on the plate to the sauce for extra flavour! If you’d prefer a thinner sauce, add more water, 1 tsp at a time, until it has your desired consistency. Thinly slice the chicken (on a clean chopping board), and divide between plates, along with the roasted potatoes and garlic greens. Drizzle the creamy chive sauce over the chicken and serve.
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Triple-S Chicken (Sweet, Sticky & Spicy) Makes 4-6 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
1 tablespoon of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of honey 2 tablespoons of soy sauce 2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger 2 cloves of garlic (or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic) 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 tablespoon of canola oil ½ teaspoon of pepper 2 teaspoons of chilli powder
Method Finely chop the ginger and the garlic. Put the brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli powder in a bowl and mix together to make a sauce. Cut the chicken breasts into strips, so they are about 3cm thick, sprinkle the pepper on them. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chicken and brown on both sides (about 2 minutes each side) on a high heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the pan, reduce the heat and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, turning the chicken so it is fully coated with the sauce. Serve with rice and the vegetable of your choice. Steamed broccoli goes well with it. “It was so tasty and easy. I made this for Saturday night tea and served with veggies. I cooked it for 12 of us, I just had to double the ingredients. Yummy! Thank you for these great recipes.” —Heather
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Italian Chicken Bake Ingredients • • • • • • • •
4 tablespoons of oil 2 potatoes 2 cloves of garlic 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 red onion 1 capsicum 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
Makes 2 serves • 2 teaspoons of vinegar (balsamic if possible) • light pinch of salt (optional) • ½ teaspoon of pepper • 2 chicken fillets • 1 large or 2 small tomatoes • Green beans ‘Frozen Beans Sliced’ (or any green veg)
Method Preheat oven to 240°C (or 220°C if fan forced). Cut the potatoes (washed but not peeled) into 2cm chunks. Place on an oven tray with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt (if desired) and pepper. Bake until tender (25-30 minutes) on the top shelf of the oven. Keep the potatoes aside until about 5 minutes before you put the chicken and vegetables into the oven so they are ready at around the same time.. Cut the chicken pieces in half (if large). Flavour the chicken with finely chopped garlic, tomato paste, mixed herbs, brown sugar, salt, vinegar and remaining oil by putting it all into a bowl, making sure the chicken is fully coated. Prep the vegetables. First rinse them then cut the capsicum, tomato and onion into 2cm wedges. In a large baking dish place the chopped vegetables, drizzle of oil, sprinkle of salt (if desired) and pepper evenly in the dish. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables and bake until tender and the chicken is cooked through (20-25 minutes). After about 15 minutes of baking put the green beans on the tray with the potatoes and put back in the oven. Check that the chicken is cooked through by slicing a piece, if it is still pink it will need to be put back in the oven to cook longer. Plate up, pour any juices from the chicken and vegetable pan onto each meal and enjoy! “I thought the Italian Chicken Bake was going to be hard but it was easy and so delicious!” —Lisa
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Sticky Soy Chicken Maryland Makes 2 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
1 tablespoon of soy sauce 4 tablespoons of tomato paste Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons of brown sugar ½ teaspoon mixed spice ginger sweet chilli chicken
Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Put all of the ingredients except the chicken into a large bowl. Mix until smooth, then add the chicken in and coat it all over with the mixture. If you have time you can put it in the fridge to marinate for an hour for a stronger flavour, or you can just cook it straight away. Put the chicken skin side up in a deep baking dish and cover it with any of the marinade mixture that is left in the bowl. Roast for 35 minutes, until the chicken is nearly cooked and starting to brown. Turn up the oven to 220°C to roast for 10-15 minutes more, until the chicken is dark and the sauce is thick and sticky. Make sure you watch the chicken while the temperature is up high to check that it isn’t burning. Take it out when you think it looks brown enough. Serve the chicken and the sauce with rice or noodles and broccoli or boc choy (or any vegetables you like) “Easy to cook and it’s yummy!”
—Felicity
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Spaghetti Bolognaise Makes 6-8 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 chopped onion 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons oregano leaves 500g beef mince 400g tin lentils, drained 1 zucchini chopped or grated 2 carrots chopped or grated
• 2 400g tins of tomatoes • 4 tablespoons of tomato paste • 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce OR 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce • 1 teaspoon of sugar (if not using the sweet chilli sauce) • 1 tablespoon chicken booster • ¼ teaspoon pepper • Parmesan Cheese to serve
Method In a large deep pot, heat the oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onion and fry for 3 minutes. Then add the zucchini, carrots, garlic and oregano and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t stick. If it gets too dry then add a little bit of water. Remove all of the vegetables from the pot, putting them into a bowl for later. Put the mince into the pan and break it up with a fork. Stir it while you fry it until it is brown all over. Return the vegetables to the pot and stir them through the mince. Add the tinned tomatoes, including the juice, lentils, the tomato paste, the chilli or Worcestershire sauce, sugar, pepper and chicken booster. Use one of the tomato tins to add two tins full of water to the pot. Stir everything together, breaking up the tomatoes and stirring them through. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring it every 5 minutes or so. If it is getting too dry for your liking you can add some extra water so it is as saucy as you want, but be sure to stir the water in well and heat it through for 5 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or other pasta (cook according to the directions on the packet). Note: You could buy fresh or dried basil to use in place of the oregano for a more traditional flavour.
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One-Pot Strog (Easy Beef Stroganoff) Makes 2 large serves
Ingredients • • • • • • •
½ kilo diced beef 1 tablespoon of canola oil 1 ½ tablespoons of corn flour 3 cloves garlic 1 onion 2 cups of milk 1 ½ cups of water
• 2 ½ tablespoons of beef booster • 250 grams of dry spaghetti (about 2 cups of penne pasta) • ½ cup of Parmesan cheese • 1 cup of sour cream or yoghurt
Method Finely chop the onion. Crush or chop the garlic cloves. Combine corn flour, water, milk, beef booster in a mixing bowl, stir until mixed thoroughly. Heat the oil in the frying pan, on a high heat. Add beef to pan, cook quickly until browned on all sides (set aside on a plate). Reduce the heat, add the onion to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Return the meat to the pan. Add the mixture and the pasta to the pan. Bring it all to the boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer it until the pasta is tender (8-12 minutes). Stir in the cream or yoghurt and Parmesan, do not return to boil, and then serve. “We don’t have access to a lot of different herbs and spices so that makes it hard to make a lot of things. This was easy to cook and all of the ingredients required were able to be purchased through our house buy-up.” —Martin
“Tasty. Quick, easy to clean, fed a lot of people. Didn’t need to spend a lot of time on it. I added chilli, mixed herbs and lemon.” —Amy
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Meatballs & Mashed Potato Makes 4-6 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
1kg beef mince 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs ½ cup of rice 1 egg light pinch of salt (optional) 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 tins of tomato soup • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce • 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters • 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine • ½ cup of milk • ½ cup of grated cheese (about 100g)
Method Place the mince, mixed herbs, rice, egg, salt, pepper, finely chopped onion and garlic into a large bowl. Mix together with a wooden spoon or clean hands until all ingredients are mixed through. Roll tablespoon sized amounts of mixture into ball shapes. Place the mince balls into a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook until just browned. Pour in the tomato soup and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat down so it is just simmering (bubbling a little) and cover with a lid. Cook the meatballs in the soup for 30 minutes. Gently move the meatballs around during this time so they do not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. While the meatballs are cooking, place the peeled, chopped potatoes into another large saucepan and cover with cold water. Place on stove over a high heat until water is boiling. Once boiling reduce the heat to medium. Cook until a fork can be pushed through the potato easily. Drain the water from the potatoes, add the margarine/butter and milk and mash until there are no lumps. Divide the potato evenly between 4 bowls, and top with the meatballs and soup. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and enjoy! Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days, or frozen for a later time. Use within 3 months (write a use-by-date on the container). “Meatballs and Mash was a big winner, we all loved it, an easy winter dish and to top it off I made the bread and butter pudding. We all loved it and all ended up in a food coma.” —Heather
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Cottage Pie Makes 4-6 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • •
6 medium sized potatoes 1 tablespoon of margarine ¼ cup of milk 1 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of pepper 500 grams of minced beef 1 large onion
• • • • • • •
1 carrot 1 tablespoon of oil ½ cup of grated cheese (optional) teaspoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of beef booster 1 tablespoon of corn flour 2 cups of water
Method Pre heat the oven to 220°C. Peel the potatoes, chop them in half and then half again. Place chopped potato into a saucepan of cold water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-25 minutes, until it is easy to push a fork all the way through the potato. While the potatoes are cooking, roughly chop the onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until lightly browned, move to one side of the pan. In the same pan, fry the beef on a high heat, sprinkle with the sugar and beef booster, break up the beef with a spatula so that it is browned all the way through. Chop the carrot into 1cm pieces and add to the beef, mix the beef onion and carrot together in the pan. Put the tablespoon of corn flour into a cup of cold water, mix together and pour over the beef mixture, add the other cup of cold water and pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, (so it’s not too dry, like a gravy). Drain the potatoes, place them back into the saucepan and mash with butter/margarine and milk until all of the lumps have gone. Put the beef mixture into a large baking dish. Spread the mashed potato evenly over the beef mix, drag a fork over the top to create ridges. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top, place into the hot oven to bake about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with steamed vegetables of your choice. “I would recommend these to others coz it was great eating.” —Trevor
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Spanish Beef Makes 2 large serves
Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 teaspoon of oil 500 grams of beef mince 1 large onion 1 large green capsicum 1 carrot 4 tablespoons of tomato paste ½ cup of rice (uncooked)
• • • • •
1 teaspoon of beef booster 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of curry powder ½ teaspoon of pepper 4 cups of water
Method Peel and chop the onions into 1cm pieces. Wash the other vegetables. Remove the seeds from the capsicum and chop into 1cm pieces. Grate the carrot. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Fry the onions on a high heat, until lightly browned. Place the beef into the frying pan, break it up using a spatula and brown it off. Sprinkle on the beef booster, sugar, curry powder, pepper, and mix beef and onions together with spatula. Move the beef and the onions to one side of the pan and fry the tomato paste in the empty space for about a minute (this will develop the flavours of it). Add the capsicum and fry for about a minute. Add the carrot, rice and water. Stir well, using the spatula to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat to simmer rapidly (stirring from time to time) for 10-15 minutes, or until the rice has cooked and most of the liquid has absorbed/ reduced off.
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Beef Stew with (or without) Dumplings
Makes 4-6 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • •
1kg beef pieces 2 onions, chopped into 4cm chunks 2 carrots, chopped into 4cm pieces 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs 1 teaspoon of beef booster 4 potatoes 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
• • • • • • •
1 tablespoon of oil 1 teaspoon of pepper light pinch of salt (optional) 2 tablespoons of plain flour ¼ cup of vinegar 1 cup of green beans water (enough to cover the meat and veg)
Method Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Coat the beef in the flour, salt (if desired) and pepper. You could put it all in a mixing bowl or put it all in a plastic bag and shake to coat the meat. If you don’t have a dutch oven, you could use a deep baking dish and cover with alfoil. Heat the oil in the baking dish or dutch oven on the stove top and fry the onions until lightly browned. Move the onions to one side and fry the meat until lightly browned. Move the meat and onions over to make a space to cook the tomato paste through (about a minute) then add the vinegar and stir while frying through for about another minute. Add the carrots, beans and mixed herbs (if using frozen beans, add them after an hour and a half of baking). Pour enough water in to cover the meat and vegetables, stir well to get all the brown bits that are stuck to the pan or dutch oven off the bottom (that’s where the flavour is). Cover with a lid (or sheet of alfoil) and bake in the oven for 90 minutes if you are having dumplings in it, or 2 hours without dumplings.
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Dumplings
Dumplings • ¼ cup of margarine • 1½ cups of self-raising flour • ¾ cup of milk
Method Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Using the tips of clean fingers, rub the margarine through the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk and stir to form a thick paste. Remove stew from oven and drop 2 tablespoons of mixture into the stew (repeat until all dumpling mix is used). For crispy topped dumplings, return stew to oven for 30 minutes without lid (or alfoil). If you want a soft, steamed dumpling return the stew to the oven for 30 minutes with the lid (or alfoil) on.
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Lovely Lamb Chops & Salad Makes 2-4 serves
Ingredients • ¼ cup olive oil • Juice of 1 lemon (about ¼ cup lemon juice) Salad: • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, • ½ lettuce or ½ cup chopped fresh • 2 tomatoes • 4 cloves garlic • 1 red onion • light pinch of salt (optional) • ½ cucumber • ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper • 4 sprigs of parsley • 8 lamb chops • 1 avocado (optional) • 1 tablespoon of olive oil for cooking
Method Using paper towels, pat chops dry and discard any shards or bone fragments. Squeeze the lemon. Finely chop or mince the garlic. Mix the ¼ cup of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic and pepper in bowl. Arrange lamb chops in the bowl with the mixture, making sure the mixture covers all of the lamb, rubbing it into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes, or for a deeper flavour, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chops from time to time (Chops will be even better if they are left to marinate in the mixture overnight before cooking). Before cooking, let the lamb chops sit at room temperature for 30 minutes).
“I would recommend this because anyone can do it and because there are veggies, it’s healthy. Easy to follow and understand, and you can alternate with chicken.” —Nic
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Cooking options: Heat oil in a pan over high heat until the pan is just starting to smoke. Fry the lamb in the pan in 2 batches for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness until done to your liking. (Usually, at 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, and at 4 minutes they are medium-well.) If your frying pan is a lightweight one, you can cook the chops under a hot grill for about the same amount of time as frying (watch closely as the fat could catch fire!). Or bake in oven, pre-heat the oven to 220°C for 15-25 minutes. Sprinkle with a little extra dried oregano for added flavour and a little extra lemon juice (optional). Wash all salad ingredients, then shred the lettuce, slice the tomato, onion, avocado, cucumber. Break up or chop the parsley, toss them into a large bowl to share. Salad Dressing Ideally you would put 4 table spoons of balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, half a teaspoon of pepper, a pinch of salt (if desired) and a clove of crushed garlic into a jar, then shake it until blended. Pour onto the salad before it separates. You may need to use just a squeeze of lemon juice or purchase a pre-prepared salad dressing, depending upon ingredient availability.
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One Dish Pork Feast Makes 2 - 4 serves
Ingredients • • • • •
½ kilo of diced pork 2 tablespoons of honey 2 tablespoons of canola oil light pinch of salt (optional) 2 teaspoons of pepper
• • • • •
¼ of a cauliflower ¼ of a cabbage 1 large red onion 1 large potato 1 small sweet potato
Method Pre-heat oven to 220°C. Place the pork in a large bowl, with honey, salt (if desired) and 1 teaspoon of pepper, mix to coat the pork in honey. Leave to stand for 30 minutes. Wash the vegetables in cold, running water. Chop the potato so that it is ½ the size of the pork pieces. Chop the rest of the vegetables so that they are the same size as the diced pork. Put the oil into the baking dish. Put all of the vegetables into the baking dish and roast in the oven at 220°C for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, then turn the veggies with a spatula or tongs, so that the under sides get a chance to brown too. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Remove veggies from the oven and place the pork on top of the vegetables (spread the pork pieces evenly across the vegetables). Return it to the oven and reduce the temperature to 180°C for 15-20 minutes. Take it out of the oven to give it all another turn with the spatula and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes or until nicely browned. Plate up and enjoy. Note: this recipe takes time to cook; allow 80 minutes in total.
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Crispy Smashed Potatoes Makes 6 potatoes
Ingredients • • • • • • •
6 medium-sized potatoes 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of half a lemon) 4 cloves garlic, crushed* 2 teaspoons dried oregano , divided A sprinkle of salt (optional) and pepper , to taste a light sprinkle of olive oil
Method Pre-heat your oven (or grill) settings to medium-high heat (about 200°C) depending how quickly your oven heats up, you may need to do this when your potatoes start to boil. Place potatoes in a large pot of water, with a pinch of salt added to the water (if desired). Bring the water to the boil (rapid bubbles); cook, covered for 20-25 minutes, or until you can easily push a fork into the centre of the potato. Drain well. Lightly oil a large baking sheet or tray with cooking oil. Arrange potatoes onto the sheet and cut across the top of each (just halfway through) and across the other way to open them up a bit. Then, use a potato masher, or fork to LIGHTLY flatten/squash the potatoes (not too hard or they will end up mashed). Mix together the butter, lemon juice and crushed garlic. Pour the mixture over each potato. Sprinkle with half of the oregano, salt (if desired) and pepper. Lightly sprinkle with olive oil. Bake (or grill but watch them closely and lower the heat if necessary) until they are golden and crispy (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining oregano. Serve immediately. * Use less garlic (2 cloves) for a milder garlic flavour. Note: For even crispier potatoes, remove potatoes from the oven half way through cooking, sprinkle with a little extra cooking oil, and continue baking (or grilling) in the oven until crispy and golden brown.
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Moroccan Style Chicken & Sauce with Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Bake Makes 2 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •
4-5 tablespoons of olive oil 1 large red onion ½ (small) head of cauliflower 1 large sweet potato 1 corn cob (optional) 2 chicken fillets 1 cup yoghurt 1 teaspoon pepper light pinch of salt (optional) ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of dried coriander (or substitute with mixed herbs) • 2 cloves of garlic (can add a few more to the bake if you like garlic) • ¼ teaspoon of grated ginger • 1 teaspoon of ground chilli • turmeric (or substitute with American mustard) • 2 teaspoons of smokey paprika (or substitute with paprika, or mixed spice) • 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
Method Pre-heat oven to 220°C. Chop the onion (1cm cubes). Roughly chop the garlic. Break up/chop cauliflower into (approximately) 1cm x 1cm flowerets. Chop sweet potato into 2cm cubes. Place the chopped veg in a large baking dish, sprinkle with about half the olive oil, salt (if desired) and pepper. Place in the heated oven. In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, all the ginger, 1½ tablespoons paprika, and half of the cinnamon, dried coriander, chilli and sugar. Mix well, then put the chicken into the bowl and coat well with the paste. Put a tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan and fry the chicken on a high heat for about 4 minutes each side, then place the chicken and any leftover paste and juices on top of the vegetables that are cooking in the oven (give the veg a bit of a stir before placing the chicken on to try to brown them evenly. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and cook for a further 10-20 minutes. Ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through by piercing it with a fork and check that the juice is clear, not pink. Put the remaining herbs and spices into the cup of plain yoghurt and stir the sauce well. Serve when the veg is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Pour on the sauce or serve the sauce on the side.
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Melting Moments Makes 12
Ingredients Biscuits • 1 cup of butter or margarine • 2 cups of plain flour • ½ cup icing sugar • 4 level teaspoons of custard powder • Up to a tablespoon of margarine for greasing the trays
Vanilla Butter Cream • ½ cup of butter or margarine • 3 cups of icing sugar • 2-4 tablespoons of milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 baking trays. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter (with an electric mixer if possible, for one minute or) until pale and creamy. Slowly add the sugar, custard powder and flour and beat until a soft dough is formed. Roll roughly 2 teaspoons of dough in your cleaned hands to form a ball and place on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Press down on each dough ball using a fork. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. Let them cool slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Vanilla Butter Cream Place the butter or margarine into a large mixing bowl and beat (with an electric mixer if possible) until pale and creamy. Add half the sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining sugar and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick add another tablespoon of milk and beat again until smooth. When the cookies are completely cool put a teaspoon full of frosting on the flat side of a cookie, and then place another cookie on top, flat side down. Repeat until all the cookies have been put together.
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Peach Dump Cake Makes 6-8 serves
Ingredients • 1 packet of vanilla cake mix (could use chocolate cake mix instead) • 1 can of peaches (or any canned fruit) • ½ cup of butter or margarine
Method Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a medium sized baking dish or cake tin with margarine (approximately 12 x 22cm). Spread the peaches, with the liquid into the dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix (straight from the packet) evenly over the peaches. Top the mixture with knobs of butter or margarine, evenly spaced. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Can be served hot or cold with cream or ice-cream. “Good, easy recipe!”
—Ray
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Lemon Cheesecake Makes 8 slices
Ingredients Base • 1 cup of plain flour • ¼ cup of caster sugar (or brown sugar) • ½ cup of butter or margarine
Filling and Jelly top • 2 x 85g packets of lemon jelly • 1 cup of boiling water • 500g of Philadelphia cream cheese • ¼ cup of cream • ¼ cup of cold water
Method Base Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. Use about a teaspoon of the margarine to grease a spring form cake tin (or baking dish). In a large bowl, mix the butter (or Margarine) flour and sugar together until it forms a pastry. Roll out the pastry to about 1cm thick and place in the bottom of the greased cake tin (or baking dish). Trim it off and fill any empty areas with the off cuts (just join it up by pressing it together with your fingers, so that the base is completely covered). Place on a low shelf in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (until golden brown) then set it aside to cool (while you make the filling). Filling In a small bowl beat the cream with a whisk or electric mixer until it forms peaks (don’t over beat). In a small bowl add ¼ of a cup of the jelly crystals to ¼ cup of boiling water. In a large bowl combine the Philadelphia cream cheese with the beaten cream and the jelly crystal liquid (just the ¼ of a cup of the jelly crystals and ¼ cup of boiling water from the previous step). Mix well with the electric mixer or whisk until smooth. Spread filling mixture evenly over the base and place into the refrigerator. Jelly Top In a jug or bowl add ¾ of a cup of boiling water to the remaining jelly crystals, stir until dissolved add ¼ of a cup of cold water and allow to cool (to room temperature). Pour the cooled jelly liquid over the cheesecake filling and return to the fridge for 4 hours (or until the jelly has completely set).
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Sponge Cake Makes 8 slices
Ingredients • • • • • •
1/3 cup of plain flour 1/3 cup of self - raising flour 1/3 cup of cornflour ¼ teaspoon of salt 4 eggs (room temperature) 2/3 cup of caster sugar
• • • • • •
tablespoon of margarine 3 tablespoons of jam 1 cup (250mls) of cream ¼ cup of icing sugar 6 strawberries 2 x 20cm round cake tins
Method Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 cake tins with margarine. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 8-10 minutes. When the mixture is ready it will be lighter in colour and about 3 times bigger than it was. While continuing to beat using the electric mixer, gently and slowly sift the flour (plain, self raising and cornflour) and salt into the mixture. Gently pour half the mixture into each cake tin. Cook for 15-20 minutes (check after 15 minutes, if the middle of the cake springs back after touching it is ready). When cooked, turn the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack immediately. Clean off your beater and use it to whip the cream in a bowl until it can hold firm peaks. You may like to add a teaspoon of icing sugar while beating, to sweeten the cream. Once the cakes have completely cooled, spread the jam onto one side of one of the cakes, then spread a layer of whipped cream, then place the other cake on top. Sift some icing sugar over the top, then decorate with the remaining cream and (washed, chopped) strawberries. “For the sponge cake I doubled the ingredients and process: delicious! We all loved it!” —Hez
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Easy Apple Crumble Makes 4-6 serves
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •
6 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons caster sugar ½ cup water 1½ cups plain flour 1 cup caster sugar 1 cup rolled oats ½ cup of margarine, chopped optional: tablespoon of sugar and pinch of cinnamon Ice-cream,whipped cream or yoghurt, to serve
Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine apples, juice, sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer, stirring for 3 minutes or until apple is slightly softened. To make the crumble, combine the flour, sugar, oats and margarine in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Transfer apples into an ovenproof dish, draining off most of the liquid. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples. You can choose to add the tablespoon of sugar and pinch of cinnamon over the top if you want to. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with ice-cream, yoghurt or whipped cream.
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Bread and Butter Pudding Makes 4-6 serves
Ingredients • 8 slices of bread (can use fruit bread or any sort of bread that needs to be used up. Stale bread works well) • ½ cup of brown sugar • jam (optional) • margarine (for 8 slices of bread) • tablespoon of custard powder (optional) • ½ cup of dried fruit (sultanas) • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (ground) • 2 cups of milk • 2 eggs
Method Preheat oven to 170°C. Put margarine (and jam) on the bread slices cut them into quarters then layer them, and the sultanas into a medium sized baking dish or cake tin. Beat the eggs together with the milk, sugar (and custard powder) and most of the cinnamon in a bowl, until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish, onto the layers of bread. Push the bread down to help it absorb the egg mixture and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set in the middle. Can be served hot or cold with custard, yoghurt or ice-cream. “Tasty and easy to make!”
—Luke
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Golden Syrup Dumplings Makes 12 dumplings
Ingredients Dumplings • ¼ cup margarine • 1 ½ cups of self-raising flour • ¾ cup of milk • 2 tablespoons of golden syrup Syrup • 2 cups of water • ¼ cup margarine • 1/3 cup of brown sugar
Method Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Using the tips of clean fingers, rub margarine through the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk and golden syrup and stir to form a thick paste. Place the syrup ingredients into a large saucepan (that has a lid) and stir. Bring it to the boil on a high heat, stir and reduce the heat to simmer (gently bubbling). Place large tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into the liquid. Put the saucepan lid on and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes. You can be sure the dumplings are cooked through if you put a fork or skewer through the middle of one and it comes out with no mixture stuck to it. “So good to have quick, easy, tasty recipes to cook. We work 7am to 3pm and need ideas of what to cook.” —Mac
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Food Safety Food poisoning is very common and can make you very unwell. Some food can look, smell and taste good and still have harmful bacteria in it so it’s important to know how to handle food properly to keep it safe. How to Handle Food Safely 1. Wash your hands • before making food or eating • after handling raw meat, raw egg or raw chicken
How to Thaw Out food safely Thaw out frozen food in the fridge. It’s not safe to thaw food outside of the fridge - although the inside of thawing foods can stay very cold, the outside becomes warm enough for bacteria to grow. If you need the food thawed more quickly, put it in a microwave on the defrost settings. Cook foods thawed in the microwave straight away. Raw chicken must be completely thawed before cooking. How to Cook Food Safely Cook meat and chicken thoroughly so that there is no pink left and juices run clear.
• after using the toilet • after smoking. 2. Don’t make food for others if you are sick or if you feel unwell. Don’t eat food made by someone who is sick or is feeling unwell.
Mince, sausages and chicken often have dangerous bacteria in them and need to be cooked all the way through to kill the bacteria and make them safe to eat.
3. Wash all fruit and vegetables before cooking or eating them.
Steaks can be cooked to rare or medium but need to be seared on the outside and shouldn’t be pierced by a fork or cut during cooking.
4. Don’t use cracked or dirty eggs. 5. Don’t use foods if in damaged packaging, or past their “Use by date”. Foods past their “Best before date” are safe to eat but won’t taste as good as when they were fresh. 6. Don’t let raw egg, raw meat, or raw chicken get onto food that isn’t going to be cooked. Chop raw meat or chicken on a separate cutting board. If you only have one chopping board, then chop the other foods first and meat or chicken last. Wash chopping boards, knives and utensils in hot, soapy water. How to Keep Food at a Safe Temperature Cooked meals or processed foods such as salads and sandwiches, as well as eggs, meat, chicken, fish and dairy need to stay at the right temperature to be safe. Bacteria can grow in these foods between 5 °C and 60°C. Keep them on the stove or in the oven above 60°C or in the fridge below 5°C.
How to Store Cooked Food Safely If you plan to eat all the food or throw away any leftovers, you can keep food off the stove or out of the fridge for up to 4 hours. If you plan to put leftovers in the fridge don’t keep food off the stove or out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. Cool cooked foods quickly by placing them into smaller, shallow containers with a lid or plastic wrap and put them into the fridge once they have cooled a little (15-20 minutes is enough for most foods). How to Store and Reheat Leftovers Safely Leftovers can be kept for up to 3 days but don’t keep any foods that were on the plates you or others have been eating from. If you want to keep extra serves of food for longer put them in a sealed container and freeze them. Reheat leftovers until they are hot all the way through. If using the microwave, stir the food half way through if possible and leave to sit for a minute or two once it’s finished heating.
Source: sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/conditions/food+safety
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Helpful Conversions Cups to tablespoons, teaspoons and millilitres Cup (C)
Tablespoon (Tbsp) 20mls
teaspoon (tsp) 5mls
Millilitres (mls)
12.5
50
250 ml
9
37
185 ml
2/3 (two thirds) of a cup
8.5
34
170 ml
1/2 (half) a cup
6.25
25
125 ml
1/3 (one third) of a cup
4
16
80 ml
1/4 (one quarter) of a cup
3
12
60 ml
1 cup 3/4 (three quarters) of a cup
Common US measurements to Australian US
Australian
1 pound
453g
Almost ½ kg
8 fluid ounces
236mls
Almost ½ cup
1 pint
480mls
Almost ½ litre
1 quart
950 mls
Almost 1 litre
Butter and Margarine: Weight to Cups Weight in grams (g)
Cups
250g
1 cup butter or margarine
185g
3/4 cup butter or margarine
125g
1/2 cup butter or margarine
80g
1/3 cup butter or margarine
60g
1/4 cup butter or margarine
60g
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
20g
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
5g
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
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Common Ingredient 1-Cup Conversions Ingredient
Weight in grams (g)
Plain or SR Flour
125g
White Sugar, Caster Sugar
220g
Brown Sugar, lightly packed
155g
Icing Sugar
155g
Honey
350g
Golden Syrup
350g
Desiccated Coconut
90g
Rolled Oats
90g
Sultanas
160g
Slivered Almonds
125g
Walnuts
125g
Dates (chopped)
155g
Cornflakes
30g
Rice Bubbles
20g
Breadcrumbs (dry)
125g
Breadcrumbs (soft)
60g
Grated Cheese (cheddar, tasty, Parmesan)
125g
Rice
155g
Lentils
185g
Couscous
190g
Oven temperatures Description
Celsius (Australia)
Fahrenheit (USA)
Gas Mark (UK)
Very slow
120°C
250°F
Gas Mark ½
Slow
150°C
275-300°F
Gas Mark 1-2
Moderately slow
160°C
325°F
Gas Mark 3
Moderate
180°C
350-375°F
Gas Mark 4-5
Moderately hot
200°C
400°F
Gas Mark 6
Hot
220°C
425-450°F
Gas Mark 7-8
Very hot
240°C
475°F
Gas Mark 9
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Tips for Healthy Eating Vegetables and Fruits
Salt
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend generous serves of vegetables daily. Use only occasionally – say, once a month – those main recipes which don’t include vegetables such as Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes and Beef Stroganoff. Better still, have them with added frozen vegetables such as peas, beans, corn and carrots.
Reducing salt in cooking is recommended generally, not only for people with high blood pressure or liver disease as salt is commonly included in processed foods such as ham and tomato paste. Practise reducing salt intake by avoiding or reducing addition of salt in cooking and at the dinner table.
Each day, have a variety of: • fruit and vegetables
Allow time for taste buds to adapt by ensuring enough flavoursome tastes are added to the food, for example by using: • fresh or dried herbs
• lean protein foods, including tofu, beans, lentils • dairy foods
• spices such as chilli, curry powder, cumin and turmeric
• and grains like oats, barley, pasta and rice.
• lemon juice and vinegar.
• pepper, garlic and ginger
Sugar Consider adding fruit to sweets and desserts to allow a reduction in the use of sugar. Too much sugar not only affects your teeth but can also affect other aspects of your health. Although sugar can make you feel good and give you a quick burst of energy in the short term, over consumption is linked, among other things, to fatty liver, high insulin levels and joint pains.
§ For tips on eating well for liver health, and on adapting to a reduced salt diet, call Hepatitis SA on 1800 HEP ABC or on the Freecall Prisonline #8 on the Common Access List from any prison telephone, to order our recipe books: Eat Well for Your Liver, and Eating Low Salt. We would also like to thank Wellbeing SA nutritionist, Jo Hartley for many of the tips provided here.
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Final Note F
or 25 years, hepatitis C was a part of my life. I was diagnosed in 1991. Back then, I had not heard of hepatitis C and had very little knowledge of blood borne virus transmission.
Other hepatitis C exposure risks can include fighting and even contact sports if the ‘blood rule’ is not followed. Hepatitis C is not a sexually transmitted virus, though there is an increased risk of hepatitis C being passed on for men when having sex with other men or during rough sex when blood is present.
I was told by a liver specialist that treatment was very challenging with debilitating side-effects for many people and had varying success rates. Luckily my liver was healthy enough for me to wait for better treatment to be developed. I was very happy when the direct acting anti-viral treatment cured me of hepatitis C, 25 years after my initial diagnosis. Left untreated, hepatitis C may lead to liver cancer or serious liver damage which can result in liver failure. In Australia, one in five people living with hepatitis C don’t know they have it. A simple blood test can tell if you’ve been exposed to the hepatitis C virus and testing is getting simpler as new methods are developed. Hepatitis C exposure risks include sharing injecting equipment, non-sterile tattooing, medical, dental and cosmetic procedures with unsterilised equipment, sharing razors or other personal grooming items and blood transfusions before 1990.
It was in 2016 that the Australian Government made new, highly effective hepatitis C treatments available to any Australian who needs it, including people in prison. The cure is just pills with little or no side effects. I lost no time getting on the new treatment. I had no side-effects and was cured after just 12 weeks of taking those pills. Many others need only one pill for 8 weeks to be cured! Hepatitis C is easy to test and easy to cure. For more information, call the Hepatitis Helpline on 1800 437 222 or on the Freecall Prisonline ring #8 on the Common Access List from any prison telephone. Lisa
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Acknowledgements Thank you to everyone who made the production of this recipe book possible. The valuable feedback from those who were ‘eating in’ at the Adelaide Pre‑release Centre was so helpful. We really appreciate the guidance that they provided. We could not have produced this resource without the support and assistance of the ever helpful APC Social Worker, Sally Rees. Thank you Sally. Recipe contributions from members of the Adelaide Local Exchange Trading System (Adelaide LETS) were well thought out and delicious, as were the recipes provided by the staff and volunteers of Hepatitis SA. Thank you also to the Hepatitis SA staff and volunteers who tested the recipes and captured the results on camera. SA Health has contributed funds toward this program.
Credits Recipe development by Lisa Carter Cutlery images on section heading pages designed by macrovector/Freepik p3 photo by Monicore from Pixabay Book design by James Morrison Project coordination by Rose Magdalene
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1800 437 222 hepsa.asn.au
HEP B or C? Need more information on HEP B or HEP C TREATMENT? CONFIDENTIAL FREECALL FOR 10 M INUTES
PRESS 8
Available 9am–5pm, Monday to Frid ay
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