Tag Archives: 1970s

HOMESTYLE MEATBALLS

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I’m cheating a bit putting this meatball recipe in. Instead of being my mother’s recipe it actually comes from my mother-in-law. Sadly she passed away many years ago. I wasn’t lucky enough to be able to enjoy her great cooking at its best, but my husband remembers many of her dishes including how she learnt to make Fried Rice from the chef at their local Chinese restaurant, her light sponges and jars of preserves. Some of my favourite recipes that I have from her are a Beef Stroganoff, a rich Beef Burgundy and this meatball recipe which is another easy family meal.

Homestyle Meatballs3

HOMESTYLE MEATBALLS

  • 500g minced steak
  • 1 packet French Onion Soup
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, sliced
  • 425g can chopped or crushed tomatoes
  • 8 new whole potatoes
  • 1 cup water

Combine minced steak and ½ packet of French Onion soup. Form into 8-10 meatballs. Place in casserole dish** together with the onion, celery, tomatoes and potatoes. Combine the remainder of the soup mix with 1 cup of water and pour over meatballs. Bake in a hot oven 200°C for 1 hour. Serve with buttered peas. Serves 4.

**The original recipe was cooked in an Oven Bag and this is still a good way to cook it. Put all the ingredients in an oven bag and secure with a twist tie. Place oven bag in a baking dish. Pierce top of the bag with a fork -bake as above.

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

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This recipe appeared several times in Mum’s collection, a couple of times in newspaper columns and in a little cookbook called ‘Simple Minced Steak Recipes’ that her bowls club put out as a fundraiser. I’ve cooked it lots of times as the family always liked it. If you add Cauliflower Cheese and a throw a jacket potato in the oven you’ve got an easy meal.

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PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

  • 500g minced steak
  • ½ cup uncooked rice
  • 1 small onion (grated or finely chopped)
  • 415g can tomato soup
  • ¼ cup water
  • Pepper

Mix meat, rice, onion and seasonings. Shape into small balls and place in casserole dish. Mix tomato soup and water and pour over meatballs. Cook in a moderate oven 180°C for 1 hour. Do not overcook.

FRENCH PEAR TART

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This is actually one of my recipes from the early days of my dinner party hosting. Since I starting this blog I find myself remembering and cooking not only Mum’s old recipes but my own as well. I served this a couple of weekends ago at lunch for a group of friends. It originally came from the Anne Marshall New Idea Cookbook published in 1976. It’s great warm or cold.French Pear Tart

FRENCH PEAR TART

185g Rich Short Crust Pastry (see below)

  • Filling:
  • 3 ripe dessert pears
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons castor sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
  • 250ml (1 cup) sour cream
  • Topping:
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 60g (2 tablespoons) butter

Make pastry and chill according to directions. Roll pastry out and line a 20-23 cm (8-9 inch) flan tin or glazed ovenproof flan dish. Trim and decorate edge and prick base. Chill while preparing filling.

Filling: Peel pears, cut in half lengthways and remove core. Place pears neatly in pastry tart shell, narrow tops towards centre. Beat egg, stir in sugar, salt, spices, lemon rind and sour cream. Pour neatly over pears.

Topping: Mix flour with brown sugar and nutmeg and rub in the butter to make coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over top of tart.

Bake in centre of a hot oven at 200ºC (400ºF) for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool on a wire cooling tray. Serve French Pear Tart cold or warm as a dessert or with coffee. It’s delicious. Serves 6.

RICH SHORT CRUST PASTRY

  • 185g (1½ cups) plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125 (4 tablespoons) butter
  • 30g (2 tablespoons) castor sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1-2 tablespoons cold water

Sift flour and salt into a cold mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour with a round bladed knife, then mix in with cool fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in castor sugar with knife.

Mix egg yolk with cold water and mix into flour gradually with a round bladed knife until mixture forms a dough which leaves sides of bowl cleanly. Knead very gently until smooth. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for at least 30 minutes before use. Roll out and use according to particular recipe.

EASY QUICHE

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This recipe is great for when you don’t have a lot of time and need to feed the family quickly. Traditionally Mum used to make it on a Sunday night.

Easy Quiche cropped

EASY QUICHE

  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup Pastry Mix
  • 125g chopped bacon or ham
  • 125g grated cheese (optional)
  • 1 finely cut onion
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • Pepper and salt to taste

Beat eggs – add other ingredients. Mix together well. Pour into greased dish. Bake moderate oven for ½ hour.

CHICKEN IN ORANGE

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This is one of Mum’s easy and tasty chicken recipes.

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 CHICKEN IN ORANGE

  • 1 chicken
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour ]
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder ] Put in a bag and coat jointed chicken
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar ]
  • Salt & Pepper ]

Put in a casserole and cover with the juice of 2 oranges. Cook in a 170º oven for 1 hour covered. Then take off lid and put 1 rasher of bacon on top. Cook a further ½ hour.

LAYERED POTATO SAVOURY

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One of Mum’s favourites, though I’m not sure this a good name for this potato dish. It’s in my cookbook as Mum’s Layered Potatoes – a much better name I think. I usually double the recipe, with the exception of the Cream of Chicken Soup, as this is a great dish for entertaining a large number people and goes really well with summer barbeques or casseroles.

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LAYERED POTATO SAVOURY

  • 3 potatoes sliced thinly
  • 315g tin of corn kernels (drained)
  • 2 rashers of bacon, finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions or 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 1 pkt Cream of Chicken Soup
  • ½ cup milk, ½ cup cream
  • ½ cup grated tasty cheese

Place half of potato over base of shallow ovenproof dish. Spread corn over potatoes. Place half of the bacon & spring onions over the corn mixture. Sprinkle half the Cream of Chicken Soup over the corn. Arrange remaining potato on top. Combine milk & cream, pour over potato. Cover dish and back at 180º for 30 mins. Uncover sprinkle with cheese and remaining bacon.Bake a further 30 minutes until golden and potato is cooked.

Serves 4

NUTS & BOLTS

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This is an absolute Smith family favourite.  Stored in large glass bottles and taken to many family events.  There was never any leftovers

.Nuts & Bolts

NUTS & BOLTS

  • 1 small pkt of Nutra Grain
  • 1 pkt Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 pkt French Onion Soup
  • 500g salted peanuts
  • 1 dessertspoon curry powder
  • 1 dessertspoon dry mustard

Mix all ingredients. Add ½ cup warm oil.  Shake like hell. Seal in an airtight container. (Doesn’t Last)