This is a very hearty beef casserole great for these winter nights. I like the fact that everything is thrown in one dish and you can put it in the oven and forget it for a couple of hours. The recipe converts to 250g of blade steak, but you could put more in if you want to bulk it up a bit.
This recipe is in my brother’s lovely flowing handwriting, which means that my sister-in-law gave to Mum back in the 60s. Mum used to make it for casserole style entertaining and it tasted quite good, although personally I was never that fond of the tinned pineapple, you can use fresh pineapple instead if you have the same problem. You need around 750g of sausages.
Rabbit was a much more common ingredient when I was growing up and although it’s not as popular or as readily available these days it can still taste good if cooked correctly. The secret is to make the meat tender, but not dry. This is one of the recipes that Mum used.
I get the impression that this recipe is one Mum wrote down while she was on the phone with a friend. It’s written on the type of notepad Mum kept by the phone and it has that abbreviated feel of being hurriedly written down.
This is one of Mum’s classic handwritten recipes. Firstly, it’s written on a scrap of paper that comes from the minutes of meeting she had attended and secondly it’s rather short on detail. It also has a mix of Imperial and Metric measures. I’ve rewritten it to give you a clearer idea of how it should look.
LAMB CHOPS WITH BEANS
Heat oil in frying pan and brown chops, remove and place in casserole dish. Cook onion and bacon in frying pan, then add to casserole. Add the other ingredients and bake in a moderate oven 180o for 1½ hours.
This recipe is probably how we really think of meatballs, Italian style, served with pasta. I’m not sure Mum would have put the olives in as she and Dad didn’t like them, but I think they are the ingredient that makes the Italian difference.
I think this is one of the most versatile of the meatball recipes that Mum collected. You can make them as a savory to have with drinks or serve them as a main dish with either rice or pasta. The recipe even has instructions for freezing and reheating – what more you possibly want.
Mum’s homemade pasties were filled with mince steak, potato, onion and sometimes carrot, so these cheese filled pasties were quite different and ‘modern’ for her.
Not the usual cheesecake, this recipe combines cream cheese, feta cheese and parmesan cheese with spinach, mushrooms and onion to make a great savoury dish.
This recipe comes from the Herald Sun cooking page from around August 1994. Can’t remember Mum ever making them, but now I’ve found it I’m going to give them a go. They look like they could be good to have with a drink.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 