Madras Beef Curry

Curry Paste

Mix together 2 tablesppons of ground coriander,1 tablespoon of ground cumin,1 teaspoon of tumeric.

Add black pepper (freshly ground) and chilli to taste. (I used about 1 teaspoon).

Add 2 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons grated ginger and the juice of half a lemon.

Stir and set aside

To make curry

Brown onion and diced beef in a frypan with olive oil. Put aside in a bowl.

Put curry paste in same frypan and cook off for about a minute.

Add 2 tablespoons good quality tomato paste.

Return beef to pan and stir to coat with paste.

Add 1 cup beef stock. And a good handful of fresh chopped tomatoes.

Cook covered on low for an hour or so.

Cook uncovered for a further half hour. Again just at a simmer.

Serve on brown rice with a good dollop of fresh yogurt.

ENJOY!

Excited even before I start cooking ...

Why we do what we do ...Taking stock ...

Of why I make my own stock

1. It's easy - I mean - it cooks itself! I don't need to do anything!

(I can even cook it in the crockpot when I am out! How easy is that!)

2. It makes me feel good to do this for my family

(there is nothing like the thought of stock simmering away to make me happy!)

3. It tastes better

(To me - commercial stocks just taste of salt. UGH)

4. I know what is IN it!

(To give a comparison ... I found an ingredient list from a commercial product. MY stock does not have chicken powder, flavour enhancer (and in some it is MSG), anti caking agent, colours ....flavours ... (talk about vague!) Just what are we putting in our bodies?

PLUS - my stock has the goodness of the marrow from the marrow bones when I make beef stock. (and let's not get into the debate on the healing powers of good REAL chicken soup!)

5. I make my stock with NO salt. I don't want my children's and my family's tastebuds trained to become addicted to the commercial levels of salt that we are used to. Commercial stock is about SALT. NOT flavour! My stock is about flavour. And is a perfect base to use so I can flavour the MEAL I am making at the time to my tastes ... not rely on what a commercial product thinks EVERY meal should taste like.

To give a comparison. A popular heavily advertised brand of liquid stock here in Australia has 507mg of salt per 100g. The Australian recommendation is intake is to eat NO product with greater than 120mg of salt per serve.

My stock ... has pretty much none.

Even their salt reduced version has 400mg of salt per 100g. Totally outside the recommendations.

I make my stock in bulk. I freeze it in lots and it is always there.

I make stock because I love too. Because it is NO trouble. And it is better for us. Why would I change?

Lunch... and lamb...

This was my lunch.

Jealous?

I think lamb is my favourite meat ever. Lamb cutlets specifically.

They are expensive - but if I hunt I can get them on clearance. Then I freeze them and cook them when I am home alone. My own special decadent treat!

The salad was lovely! Coleslaw veges (shredding carrot, cabbage and purple cabbage) with capsicum, cherry tomatoes, a GOOD dollop of natural yogurt and really generously sprinkled with pine nuts, and sunflower seeds.

So good for you ... so decadent. Who says lunches are boring???

Things I LOVE! Nude food movers!

I hate buying food when I am out. Which means packing snacks.

But I hate waste. Which means no cling wrap, ziplock baggies etc.

What I NORMALLY do is take a whole heaps of different containers. They are all mixed and matched and they bump around in my bag. And the lids come off. And they leak.

But today I discovered THESE!

These are the Nude Food Movers Snack tubes. Especially designed so you can pack your food with no packaging.

They are air tight. They are leak proof. (I tried!) and they screw together so you only have one thing to carry around when you are taking snacks for different people with you.

They are the perfect size for fruit salad, nuts, cereal, yogurt ... (and did I tell you they don't leak??)

When screwed together they are the same size as a water bottle, so they even fit in the water bottle compartment of a lunch cooler bag.

I LOVE THEM!

There is a whole new range of products! I can't wait to try more!

But I wanted to show you these - cause I think they are a really practical solution for us!

The website isn't online fully yet - but it is www.nudefoodmovers.com.au

s

oh! and here are the pancakes!~

Use it up! Don't throw it out!

Is it just my house? Or do other people's kids eat half a banana ALL the time?

Somehow this morning we had THREE halves of bananas left over from breakfast. (don't worry - they were cut up bananas - not the half that someone had chewed on and eaten.)

I didn't feel like freezing them for banana bread and I needed something extra for lunches ... so 5 minutes cooking (if that) and we had wholewheat banana pancakes!

YUM!

No recipe required. And they are SO sweet and lovely!

Basically I used a good hand of whole wheat self raising flour, a little egg replacer, some milk, and squashed up banana. And a little yoghurt cause that helps it rise.

I was one popular mummy this morning!