Baked Potato with Cottage Cheese, Crispy Bacon and Avocado

We had this for brunch today as everyone was going off in different directions.  Its quick to make, you can feed a crowd or just a few. It's for the hungry (use two potatoes or one large potato) or the not so hungry (use small potatoes).

Baked Potato With Cottage Cheese, Crispy Bacon and Avocado

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 -2 potatoes per person

3 rashers bacon per potato

a few teaspoons Cottage Cheese per potato

Avocado, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

 

Method

 

1. Grill the bacon until crispy.

 

 

2. Slice bacon into bite size pieces and set aside.

 

 

3. Microwave the potatoes until soft, between 7 - 10 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.

4. Cut a cross in each potato and open up.

 

 

5. Spoon the cheese into each potato.

6. Top with the crispy bacon.

 

 

7. Top with avocado.

 8. Season with salt and pepper.

 

 



Mediterranean Moussaka Stack with Yoghurt

I never liked eggplant when I was little, but have since discovered that it actually is rather great. That and the fact that my daughter is always putting a few in the trolley at the farmers market!   So here's a fairly quick and tasty midweek meal.  We only had coriander, and it works well with the dish. You can use parsley and basil is you have them.

 

Ingredients

 

1 red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons olive oil

300g beef mince

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 cup stock, I used vegetable stock

1 large eggplant, sliced into rounds

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced into strips

plain yoghurt to drizzle over

1 lemon

handful of coriander leaves

 

Method

 

1. Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.

2. Cook the eggplant until browned and tender.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the red pepper until browned and tender. Keep warm.

 

 

4. Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft.

 

 

5. Add the beef mince, tomato, cinnamon and nutmeg until the beef is browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

6. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat.

7. Stack the eggplant, red pepper and beef mince on plates and drizzle over the plain yoghurt. Top off with the coriander leaves. Serve with a slice of lemon.

 

 

 

Cocktail Meat Pies with Roasted Vegatables

I was paging through some magazines the other day and came across this recipe for meat pies....yum! Sounds awesome!!  These could be really good as cocktail party food.  As we don't have all the ingredients , it's a case of - ok, so what do we have!!   So we make a few changes, make much smaller pies and serve them with sweet chilli sauce and wow, are these good!!  Now to arrange the party.....

Ingredients

 

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup butternut, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons thyme

300g beef mince

2 teaspoons flour

2/3 cup vegetable stock

2 teaspoons chutney

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup frozen peas

puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, lightly beaten

sweet chilli sauce, to serve

 

Method

 

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees C.

2. Place the potato, carrot and butternut on a baking tray, sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix.

3. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender.

 

 

4. Heat the remaining oil.  Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook until soft.

5. Add the mince and cook until browned.

 

 

6.  Mix in the flour and cook for a further minute.

7. Add the stock, chutney and cabbage and cook until thickened slightly.

8. Remove from the heat and add in the peas, roasted vegatables, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

9. Allow to cool completely.

10. Cut out 8 x 8cm rounds from the pastry (or use a pastry press).

 

 

11. Brush the edges with egg and fold over the pastry, pinching to seal.

 

 

12. Brush with egg and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

13. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

14. Serve with sweet chilli sauce for dipping.