Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel

1.4kg hot Italian sausage links (Chorizo)
3 (500g) packages rigatoni or macaroni pasta
3 (700ml) jars tomato puree or italian cooking sauce
3 bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 roasted red capsicums, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted capsicum, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Morrocan Lamb Shanks

2kg lamb shanks
2tbsp Ras el Hanout spice blend
2 onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1cm freshly grated ginger
1 lemon, zested
2cups chicken stock
1tbsp tomato paste
1tbsp honey

Drizzle a little olive oil over the lamb shanks, rub the Ras el Hanout all over the shanks, leave them to marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shanks 2 at a time, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional couple of minutes.
Place the vegetables in the bottom of a casserole dish that has a well fitting lid and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Put the lamb on top of the vegetables, turning them to ensure they are covered in the sauce. Cover the casserole, Place in a hot oven for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate and simmer for around 2 hours.
Serve with Couscous.

Rogan Josh, Lamb Shanks in the Slow Cooker

2/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 chicken stock cubes
4 whole cardamom pods, broken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
ground nutmeg to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons corn flour
1/4 cup water
1 large onion, cut into wedges
3 lamb shanks
1 carrot, diced
2 potatoes, diced

Stir the sour cream and all-purpose flour together in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.
In a separate small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a paste.
Combine the chili powder, coriander, ginger, stock cubes, cardamom, tomatoes, water, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Slowly add the cornstarch paste to the tomato mixture, stirring constantly; simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stir in the sour cream and flour mixture.
Arrange the onions across the bottom of a slow cooker, lay the shanks on top of the onions and pour the prepared tomato mixture over the meat. Place the carrots and potatoes on top of the sauce.
Cover and cook in the slow cooker on High for 8 hours.

Karahi Chicken (Hot and Spicy Chicken Curry)

1.5kg chicken pieces
3 onions, chopped
1½ tsp ginger & garlic paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
2 whole chillis
1 tsp coriander seeds
10g garam masala
3 bay leaves
100ml Oil
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
salt to taste
Heat oil in a pan and add oil, bay leaves, red chillies, coriander seeds, garam masala and roast till they splutter. Add the onions and sauté for sometime till it browns. Add the ginger, garlic paste and fry till the oil floats on top. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder and cook for some time.
Now add the chicken and stir a little, then add some water for cooking.
When cooked remove from heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fried Kashmiri red chillies.

Tandoori Chicken

1 cup thick, plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
2cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
1 tblspn lemon juice
1 tbspn olive oil
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn ground coriander
1/2 tspn chilli powder
1/2 tspn turmeric
1/2 tspn salt
6 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
cooked rice and lemon wedges, to serve

Combine yoghurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, oil, spices and salt in a large ceramic bowl. Cut 2 slits in top of each chicken thigh, making sure not to cut all the way through. Add chicken to yoghurt mixture and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease and line a large baking dish. Place chicken in dish and roast for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with rice and lemon.

Crazy Lasagna

1kg tomatoes, cut into quarters
1kg eggplants diced (1/2-inch)
1kg zucchini, (about 3), sliced in 1/2-inch rounds
500g portobello mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 red peppers, cut into chunks
4 large onions, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 heads garlic
1kg pound broken up lasagna noodles, or papardelle
1 litre tomato sauce
500g ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon oregano
500g mozzarella, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons grated parmisan
Arrange tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers and onions on baking sheets lined with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut 1/4 off top of garlic and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast vegetables and garlic in preheated 400°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in lots of boiling, salted water. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well.
In a very large bowl, combine noodles with vegetables. Squeeze garlic out of the shell into mixture. Add tomato sauce, ricotta, basil, oregano, and mozzarella. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Transfer mixture to a large casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 350°F oven for 40 minutes.
Makes 20 servings

Cottage Pie

2.5kg minced beef
3kg potatoes peeled
6 onions
10 garlic cloves
8 carrots, peeled and diced
2 parsnip, peeled and diced
8 celery sticks, diced
2 capsicum, diced
2 cans sweet corn
2 cans green peas
3 cups frozen green beans
Cottage Pie recipe base x5

Cut the potatoes for boiling, put into hot water and boil for 10mins. Remove potatoes from the heat and strain the water off. Add 1/2 cup of butter or margarine and 3/4 cup milk. Mash well and season to taste.
Meanwhile brown the onions and raw vegetables in a medium sized pot. Brown the mince beef in a separate large pot. Add the vegetables and beef together with the cottage pie recipe base. Simmer for 10minutes, add the frozen and the canned vegetables. Check consistency of the gravy, thicken if required with a cornflour slurry.
Place the meat mixture in the bottom of a large baking dish. Place spoonfuls of the potato mixture on top of the meat until the surface is fully covered. Gently level off the potato top then trace the tines of a fork over the surface to create a ribbed effect. Spray the potato top lightly with cooking oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake for 45mins if the contents go into the oven while still hot. Bake for 1hr 15 mins if they go in cold.

Zucchini & Pumpkin Bread

6 zucchini, medium sized, grated
1.5 kg pumpkin, small diced and roasted
4 onions, diced
250g semi dried tomatoes, drained & finely chopped
4 cups cooked rice
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
450g self raising flour
1 dozen eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup vegetable oil
500g feta cheese, crumbled
In a saucepan brown the onions. Squeeze any excess liquid from the zucchini. In a large bowl combine the cooled pumpkin, squeezed zucchini, browned onions, diced tomatoes, cooked rice, grated cheese and seasonings. Stir until just combined. Sprinkle the flour over and gently combine. Fold the beaten eggs into the mixture then stir in the feta cheese.
Line the holes of muffin trays with baking paper. Evenly divide the mixture amongst the muffin holes. Makes approx 40 individual serves using muffin holes with capacity of 1/3 cup.
Alternatively bake this recipe in a large shallow tray.

Honey Soy Fish

Firm white-fleshed fish fillets
Marinade:
2 tablespoons thick soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
5cm piece ginger, peeled, grated

Make marinade, combine all ingredients in a jug. Mix well.
Place fish in a single layer into a ceramic dish. Pour over marinade. Turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour, if time permits.
For oven baking; place fillets in a baking dish and bake for 20mins. Add extra marinade then grill to brown the tops before serving.
or Microwave cooking: cut 4 large sheets of baking paper. Place fish onto baking paper. Drizzle each fillet with 1 tablespoon of marinade. Wrap each piece of fish up in baking paper to form 4 secure parcels. Place fish parcels onto a microwave-safe plate in a single layer. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) power for 10 to 12 minutes, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.
Arrange fish on rice and serve with bok choy

Mediterranean Fish

fish fillets, in serving sizes, rinsed and patted dry
fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh pepper
8 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 onions, cut into pieces
4 cups baby spinach leaves
8 plum or Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
A sprinkle of dried red chilli flakes, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Squeeze a little lemon juice over the fillets. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic, onion, baby spinach and tomatoes. Add the balsamic vinegar, fresh chopped herbs, red pepper flakes and toss to mix. Drizzle with enough extra virgin olive oil to moisten it all. Season with a little sea salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Spoon the spinach-tomato mixture on top of the fish. Drizzle on any remaining olive oil left in the bowl.
Seal the baking dish with foil. Place into a preheated oven and cook until the fish is done- about 20 minutes or so- depending on the thickness of the fillet. The fish should flake easily with a fork, and appear opaque. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Crumb Topped Baked Fish Fillets

1/4 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. dry parsley
1/2 tsp. tarragon, dill or thyme
1/2 tsp. onion salt
Dash nutmeg
1 lb. fish fillets
Salt & pepper
2/3 c. dry bread crumbs

Mix butter, parsley and spices. Season fish with salt and pepper.
Place fish fillets in greased baking dish. Pour 1/2 butter mixture over fish and mix the remaining butter with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the fish.
Bake in preheated 175 C oven for 15 minutes or until done.

Stuffed Capsicum

16 capsicum
3kg beef mince
2x cans peeled diced tomatoes
4 sticks celery diced
4 onions diced
6 cloves garlic minced
6 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups rice
1 litre water
Cut the tops off the capsicum so that the tops can be used as lids to put back on top of the stuffed capsicum for cooking. Remove the seeds and membranes from the inside of the capsicum "pots and lids". Trim stalks on the "lids". Arrange the capsicum in a baking tray.
Precook the mince by steaming it over boiling water, set to the side while the fat drains off the cooked meat. In a large pot saute the celery, onion and garlic. Add the coked mince, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, water and rice. Bring this to the boil then reduce the heat to simmer. Add spices and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning. Allow the meat to simmer for about 15minutes.
Spoon the prepared mince into the capsicum "pots" and replace the "lids". Pour any remaining juices and meat along with 1 cup of hot water into the bottom of the baking dish, to prevent the capsicum pots from burning. Bake for 45 minutes in a Moderately hot oven. Serve 1/2 capsicum with rice and salad. Serves 32.

Quick Quiche Lorraine

We have cooked this Quiche 3 times. It has been great each time. The last time we cooked it , we used Spinach instead of ham, we didn't do the tomato either. It was still great. I recommend this recipe. It cuts into 20 serves per dish, so it goes a long way too.
1kg diced ham
250 g finely chopped onion
50g butter
2 dozen eggs, beaten
360g all-purpose flour
2tsp salt
2lt milk
700g shredded cheddar cheese
sliced tomato to finish

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Lightly grease 2 mid-sized Bain Marie dishes.
Place ham and onion in a skillet with the butter. Cook over medium high heat until the ham is browned and the onions clear. Set aside to drain on paper towel.
Line bottom of the baking dishes with 3/4 of the cheese and all of the ham and onions. Combine eggs, salt, flour and milk; whisk together until smooth; slowly pour into baking dishes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the eggs. Gently place the slices of tomato so they are floating on top of the egg.
Bake for 1hour 15 minutes, until set. Check for doneness after 40 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly the oven temperature will need to be reduced to 160 degrees C.
Serve hot or cold. Serves 40

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

This recipe was the one we cooked at the community Kitchens group on 12th August. It was really tasty. We usually make adjustments to our recipes to improve them but not on this one. It was good how it was. We doubled the recipe and had 16 serves. Also, I forgot to put the sour cream in, so we had it on the side, it was great. A side salad would have been a great addition to the pasta bake.
500g rotini pasta, uncooked
30 g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
pinch chipotle chile powder (optional)
250 g Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 onion, finely diced
500 g ground chicken
230 g sour cream (optional)
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain, cover, and set aside until needed.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 1/2 the broccoli; toss and cook just until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle broccoli with flour, and cook 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Pour in the milk, and stir to blend. Season with salt, pepper, and chipotle pepper powder, if desired. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer mixture until sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Mix in half the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
Heat the remaining olive oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, ground chicken, and remaining broccoli. Cook and stir until chicken is evenly browned and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and cook until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes.
Preheat grill to High. Lightly grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
Toss the pasta with the broccoli sauce until evenly blended. Stir in the sour cream, if desired. Stir the broccoli sauce mixture into the chicken mixture. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Cook under preheated griller until cheese melts and browns around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, oven bake 10-15mins.

Pumpkin Curry with Lentils and Apple

200 g red lentils
200 g brown lentils
2lt water
1 g turmeric
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp curry powder, or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
pinch ground cloves
230 g peeled, cubed (1-inch), seeded pumpkin
2 potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
100 g packed fresh spinach, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored and diced
Place the red and brown lentils in a pan with the water and turmeric. Cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and garlic; cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Mix in the curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cloves. Add the cooked lentils, reserved cooking liquid, pumpkin, potatoes, and carrots. Cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in the spinach and apple. Cook until the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Ham Pasta Bake

6 cups Ham, cubed
8 cups frozen peas & corn
4 onions finely chopped
2kg uncooked pasta
2 tsp salt
350g cheese grated, divided in two
200g butter
200g flour
2.5 litres milk
4 tbsp stock powder (chicken)
2 tbsp hot mustard
1 tbsp nutmeg
1/2 tbsp pepper
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. In a separate pot melt the butter, add the flour and mix well over the heat, cook until the mixture goes mostly white and foamy. While stirring, add the milk by degrees (500ml at a time). Continue to stir constantly until the white sauce comes to the boil. Add the chicken stock, nutmeg and mustard.
Cook the peas corn and onion in the microwave untill completely hot. In a baking dish put 3/4 of the cooked pasta, all the cubed ham, the cooked vegetables and half the grated cheese. Spread the white sauce over evenly. Spread the remaining pasta over the white sauce. Cover the pasta with the second half of the grated cheese. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg. Bake on med-high for 20-25minutes till golden and bubbly.

Gwens Secret Fried Rice Recipe

Gwen is one of our Community Kitchens participant. She says that she always cooks this dish for family gatherings and parties, she says there is never-ever any leftovers and she always gets compliments. We all agreed that it is very yummy. It worked well as a main dish because it is loaded with meat and eggs. It is the best fried rice I have ever eaten!
Serves 15
8 cups Rice, steamed
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 chicken thigh fillets
500g bacon pieces
250g bean shoots
2 small cans prawns
8 spring onions
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Sesame Oil
Soy Sauce
Using the rice steamer, cook the rick as per the instructions. When cooked transfer the rice to 2 large baking dishes. While waiting for the rice to cook, prepare the other ingredients.
Beat the eggs together with milk. Heat the olive oil in a large frypan. when the frypan is hot pour in the eggs. Stir the eggs often and break them up as you go, so they form in small lumps. Set the eggs aside. Clean the pan.
Dice the chicken in very small pieces. Stir fry the chicken with a little extra olive oil.
Dice the bacon and add to the pan with the chicken. Stir fry to combine and to prevent burning.
Open the cans of prawns and drain them, discard the liquid. Add the prawns to the chicken and bacon. Add the bean shoots, spring onions and garlic to the pan, stir fry untill all ingredients are combined and hot.
Divide the contents of the pan, half going into each of the two baking dishes with the hot rice. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil over each dish. With a large spoon fold the ingredients together to ensure that everything is well combined.
Place both dishes into the oven at 180deg Celsius. Bake for 10 mins uncovered, turn the Fried Rice at least once during that time, to ensure that there are no dried out bits. If serving time is delayed the baking dishes will need to be covered with foil, as the rice will dry out quickly in the oven.
Serve.

Calamari Stir Fry

1.5kg calamari pieces (pineapple cut)
Peanut oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
6 onions, diced
1kg Broccoli, cut into small florets
6 sticks of celery, cut on the diagonal
8 large carrots, cut into thin sticks
1 each green and red capsicums diced
250g bean shoots
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Sauce
2tbsp cup fish sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tbs white sugar
1/4 cup cornflour
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup white vinegar

Wash and steam rice.
Mix all sauce ingredients together and heat on stove top
Heat wok or fry pan until hot. Add a drizzle of peanut oil, stir fry onion and garlic and vegetables until fragrant. Stir fry vegetables in a few batches and keep warm in the oven while the remaining vegetables are done. Add a little more oil to the wok with each batch. Vegetables need to be cooked untill they are hot all the way through, but still crisp.
Stir fry the calamari in batches adding each batch to the vegetables. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the vegetables and calamari, stir to coat and combine. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice.

Southern BBQ Turkey Mini Drums

6kg Small Turkey Drumsticks
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups mango chutney
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp hot english mustard

Parboil the wings and drumsticks for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, add oil and sauté onions about 2 minutes. Reduce heat. Add sugar, continue to cook and stir on medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add all other ingredients. Reserve half of the sauce.
Brush the drained turkey pieces with sauce.
Grill the wings and drumsticks on a lightly oiled grill about 5 inches from the heat. Brush often during the cooking process and grill about 15 minutes on each side.
Continue to grill until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the wing and 175 degrees F in the thickest part of the drumstick.
Serve with reserved sauce.

Vegetable tagine with lemon couscous

8 cups soaked chickpeas (start with 3cups dry chickpeas)
1 tub tomato paste
3 litres water
4 x 425g cans diced tomatoes
3.6kg pumpkin, cut into medium sized chunks
2.7kg zucchini or yellow patty-pan squash in chunks
400g green beans, trimmed, halved
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
18 cloves garlic, crushed
4 onions chopped finely
Spices:
4 tablespoon coriander seeds
4 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 tablespoons sweet paprika
4 tablespoons ground ginger
Using mortar and pestle, crush seeds to a fine powder. Sift into small bowl; discard husks.
In a large pot bring the water to the boil with the chickpeas, tomato paste and undrained tomatoes.
Heat oil in a frypan; cook garlic and onion, stirring, until onion softens. Add crushed spices and powdered spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add this to the water chickpeas and tomatoes. Add the pumpkin when the water is boiling; return to the boil . Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Stir in squash and beans; simmer, covered for about 10 minutes or until squash is tender.
Serve with Lemon Couscous.