Lamb and vegetable casseroles have always been a staple dish in Australian households. From early on lamb was readily available and any vegetable could be added to bulk the dish out to feed a family. Originally it probably came to Australia as a Lancastershire Hot Pot, but whether you call it that or like this recipe Lamb & Vegetable Hot Pot it is always a hearty dish topped with potatoes.
When I was growing up the one thing that that Dad always had growing in the garden was rhubarb. Its giant green leaves and red stalks filled one corner of his veggie patch and never seemed to die off. Luckily Dad liked eating it so Mum stewed it up with some sugar and served it with custard for dessert – quite often. I don’t know about my brothers, but it was never one of my favourites and I’ve been greatly surprised to see that it has come back into fashion – who would have thought? I think this recipe at least would be sweet enough to counteract some of the tartness I didn’t like.
Using condensed milk to make slices was a lot more common back 1980s than it is today, but it certainly makes a nice slice. The first time I cooked with pecans was around that time as well. I made an ‘exotic’ American Pecan Pie, using pecans and the hard to obtain ingredient, corn syrup. I think this slice recipe probably dates from a little later than that, especially as it comes from an ad for Riverside an Australian company which urges readers to join the All Australian Pecan Club.
I couldn’t resist sharing this recipe. While the roast and glaze sound great, it’s the picture I love. The table decoration, the mugs and the vegetables all just scream 1970s. It’s on the back of a calendar dated June 1976 and I’m guessing it was a calendar Mum got from her brother who was a butcher. Enjoy.
Like most Australian families when we were growing up Mum cooked a roast once a week. As there were five of us in the family it was usually a large piece of meat and there was always some left over for school lunches or to have cold with a salad. Another way Mum would use it up was to make Meat Fritters. This recipe has the meat being minced, but Mum just used to slice it and coat the pieces in the batter before frying. And of course we always had tomato sauce with it.
These are still a picnic favourite in my family. They are easy enough to make and transport well. We always eat them cold, but you could have them warm if you’d rather.
Back in the 1990s these would often be handed around at a party or before dinner. I haven’t made them for a long time, but I think they’d still work well today. I like the tip of converting the recipe into sausage rolls if you don’t want to use them as savouries.
Dad was a great ice cream lover, so Mum always had some in the freezer. In the early days it was all homemade, but along with everyone else Mum changed to bought ice cream when it became readily available and her fridge freezer grew larger. While Dad liked his plain, Mum made this Rocky Road version and another one with Cherry Ripe bars in it. I think she mainly made it for the grandkids, but the big kids ate it too.
I found this among the recipes, it’s in my awful handwriting, so I assume I gave it to Mum somewhere along the way. I’ve been making it for years and still make it, but I use less meat now as I’m no longer feeding a family of five. It’s easy and the gravy is really does taste great.
STEAK WITH RICH GRAVY
Cut the meat into serving pieces. Place in casserole, add dry soup, mix water and soup together and pour over. Mix well. Cook 1½ hrs at 180º.
At the retirement village where Mum now lives they hold an Anzac Day ceremony every year. The residents plan and conduct the service themselves and it is very moving to see men and women who lived through the war years gather to commemorate the day. Morning tea is served after the ceremony and along with tea and coffee are plates of Anzac biscuits baked by the residents. I always thought that all Anzac biscuits were the same, but have now learned that everyone has their own way of baking them. I found this clipping in Mum’s collection and I like the extra instructions for Chewy Anzacs at the bottom – you can tell by the stains that this is a recipe well used by Mum.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 