Slow cooked lamb shanks with red wine sauce

Lamb so tender that it falls off the the bone- you gotta love that! The red wine sauce in this recipe is so devine and is made in a matter of minutes. Once the sauce is done, there is not much to do except putting it in the oven and letting the lamb and sauce combine to form a delicious dinner.

1 tbs olive oil
4 x 250g lamb shanks
2 brown onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
3 tsp salt reduced vegetable stock concentrate (I use a home made stock I make in the thermomix)
400g can of chopped tomatoes (no added salt)
2 tbs tomato paste (no added salt)
1 cup red wine
2 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (fanforced)
2. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat and cook the lamb shanks for 2 mins on each side or until browned.
3. Remove from the pan and set aside in a large baking dish. Reduce heat on stove to medium and cook onions and garlic for ~ 5mins or until softened. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, vegetable stock, water and bring to the boil.
4. Pour sauce over lamb shanks and cover dish with lid or aluminium foil. Roast for 2.5 hours or until lamb falls off bone and sauce thickened.

I serve this with mashed potato and steamed green vegetables.

To make sure I always have wine on hand for this recipe, I freeze leftover wine in a container and then take it out on the day of cooking. A great way not to waste leftover wine, although that hardly ever is a problem in our house!

Pear and raspberry loaf

When it comes to making cakes, breads or muffins, I always try and find recipes that require one bowl and mixing everything together by hand rather than with electric gadgets. I know this sounds lazy but it saves time not having to search around the cupboard for those electric beaters or setting up that food processor that has a million and one parts! (and let's not forget less washing!)

Ready for the oven

1.5 cups wholemeal self raising flour
0.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
0.3 cup brown sugar (or honey)
1 egg
0.5 cup vegetable oil
0.5 cup milk
2 pears, peeled and chopped
0.5 cup frozen raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fanforced)
2. Sift flour and bicarb into a large bowl and then stir in sugar (if using).
3. Beat egg, oil, honey (if using) and milk together and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well to combine.
4. Add pear and raspberries and stir to mix through.
5. Pour into greased loaf pan and cook for approximately 60 mins. (cover loaf with foil after half an hour to stop it browning too quickly on top)
6. Wait until completely cool before cutting into slices.

I have also made this mixture into 12 muffins which only requires 20-25 mins in the oven.
With the way the banana prices are at the moment, this is a perfect alternative that is just as yum (if not yummier) without the price tag!

Mexican vegetarian lasagna

I absolutely love mexican food. I will admit that I used to buy the ready made mexican sauces until I discovered how simple they are to make and how much healthier it is. This mexican sauce is really quick to make and is so versatile. I use it on top of nachos and in tacos but my favourite way to use it is in this lasagna. The great thing about this dish is that it can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven ready for the hungry tummies!


1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
0.5-1 tsp ground chilli
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 x 400g tins of kidney beans, drained
700g tomato puree or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of water
1 tsp sugar
2 cups of grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
200g packet of corn mountain bread


1. Sauté onion and garlic in an oiled large pan for 5 mins over medium heat.
2. Add cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli and cook for a further minute.
3. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, sugar and water, bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens. 

4. Place a layer of sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, followed by a layer of mountain bread. Then alternate sauce, cheese and mountain bread until all the sauce is gone, finishing with mountain bread and cheese on top.
5. Put in 180C (fan forced) oven for 20 mins or until cheese melted and brown on top.


Traditional lasagna sheets can be used instead of mountain bread but for those that want to limit their gluten intake, the corn mountain bread is a good option and works amazingly well in lasagna. This serves four and there are never any leftovers in my house because everyone always wants more!

Making vegies fun!

We all know what kids can be like with eating vegies, so I am always trying to think of ways of encouraging my toddlers to eat them. I find by allowing them to become involved with the cooking process and making mealtimes fun can help.

I lay out different coloured bowls filled with an assortment of vegies ie broccoli, corn, grated carrot, half an avocado and some rice & corn cakes. I give my girls a spoon, a plastic knife and let them scoop out the avocado and spread it on the rice cakes and then add toppings. They seem to love "playing" with the food and sometimes will sit there for half an hour exploring and experimenting!  (there is no way I could get them to sit down eating for more than 5 minutes normally!)
Even though it looks like they are just playing, I am always surprised at how much gets eaten.

Stirfry chicken and vegetable satay with rice noodles

My kids absolutely love noodles so I wanted to come up with a dish that was healthier and lower in salt than traditional stirfry dishes. This satay dish is perfect because there is no soy sauce or other salty additives, so great for toddlers and adults alike!  It is surprising how many packaged noodle products have added preservatives, salt or other nasties. I use dry rice noddles which require soaking and are made of only rice and water. This is such a quick dish to make and my kids always ask for more!


1 brown onion, finely chopped

Satay sauce

2 garlic cloves, chopped
0.5-1 tsp of chilli flakes, depending on taste
0.5 cup of natural peanut butter (no added salt or sugar Sanitarium brand)
1.5 cups of water
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
500g chicken tenderloins or chicken stirfry strips
500g frozen stirfry vegetable mix
250g rice noodles

1. Saute onion and garlic in a wok over medium heat for 5 mins until soft. Add chilli flakes and cook for another 1 minute.
2. Reduce heat to low and add peanut butter, water, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar. Stir to combine and cook for a further few minutes. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Place satay sauce to one side.
3. Place rice noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 5-10 minutes until soft.
4. Increase heat to high and stirfry chicken in wok with oil for 2-3 mins or until brown. Set aside.
5. Add vegetables to wok and strifry for 4-5 minutes. Add chicken, sauce and drained noodles to wok, stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 with leftovers