Mum collected this recipe from the Herald Sun back in the ’80s, back then her curries were always made with curry powder. This must have seemed a bit exotic to her – curry rubbed onto the skin of a lamb roast. Her lamb roasts were always baked plain and served with homemade mint sauce and, of course, gravy.
This is a good combination of sweet potato (kumara) and plain potatoes. When you add in the extra vegetables and all the spices then serve it up with some Turkish bread you’ve got a great winter warmer
This is a bit of a twist on the usual carrot cake. No eggs needed and a great way to use up very ripe bananas, which is always useful.
Being able to assemble this recipe the day before and then put it in the oven when you need it can be a great advantage. When Mum made it she would just use tinned corn, but she did add fresh capsicum, which she fried up with the onion and garlic.
I’m not too sure when Oven Bags first came on the scene, but the first I knew of them was when my mother-in-law started using them in the ’70s. This recipe comes from a sheet put out by the manufacturers of Tiger Oven Bags. It’s an unusual way to cook frankfurts, but I actually think they may taste OK.
Plain cake always sounds so boring, but in reality is tastes great. It has a heavier texture than a sponge and it goes really well with a cup of tea or coffee. Adding the lemon or orange rind to turn it into a Madeira Cake is a great idea.
What is the difference between a chicken risotto and just chicken and rice? Is risotto just a modern and must more difficult way to cook a rice dish? I don’t know the answer, but when you see an old recipe like this which is quick and easy it does make me wonder.
For me one of the best things about winter is homemade soup. In the old days Mum’s soups started with ham, chicken, lamb or whatever bones she bought at the butcher’s that week. She’d add vegetables and then cover the lot with cold water, bring it to the boil and cook it for a few hours. The next step was to allow the soup to cool so that the fat from the bones could solidify and it was then carefully taken off. The resulting soup was worth all that effort, but modern recipes like this one make the job a whole lot easier.
Bread and butter pudding was a family staple in our house when I was growing up as I’m sure it was in many homes. As this recipe says it’s a pretty cheap and foolproof dessert and the great thing is that you can use a variety of breads, stale cake, scones, rolls or even biscuits as the base. I’ve always thought lashings of cream poured over the top adds to the delight.
To be honest I can’t decide if this recipe would taste great or not. The pork mince, bacon, egg, pine nut filling sounds good, but the pumpkin and potato topping could make it stodgy. Mum must have thought it sounded alright or she wouldn’t have kept it, if you try it out let me know how it goes.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 