EwE - Kitchen Sink Cookies - Beach Party Snacks

Peggy chose the theme of Beach Party Snacks for this week's Eating with Ellie.  When I think of a beach party, I think of portable food, so that was the inspiration for my recipe choice.

I chose Ellie's Kitchen Sink Cookies, as they are portable and packed with good things to give you energy for a beach party.  They contain apple sauce, dried cherries, dried apricots, walnuts, oatmeal and chocolate.

These cookies are not particularly sweet, but they are quite satisfying, and certainly deserve their "everything but the kitchen sink" moniker. 

To see what everyone else made this week, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

This is our last theme for a while to give everyone a chance to regroup.  If you are interested in joining us, leave a message for us in the comments section of the Eating with Ellie  website, or contact Kayte, Margaret, Peggy  or me directly.

EwE - Asian Chicken Wrap - Picnic Day

This week's Eating with Ellie theme is Picnic Day, chosen by moi.  For my recipe, I chose Ellie's Asian Chicken Wrap from So Easy, also online here.

I made a couple of changes to the recipe.  The recipe called for Asian cabbage (wombok) leaves, but my supermarket rarely stocks those, so I used lettuce leaves instead.

I also detest raw capsicum, so I subbed in sliced tomatoes.

Here is the filling before being wrapped: 

I really liked the sauce that Ellie included in the recipe to drizzle over the ingredients.  It lifted the wrap from boring to interesting.

To see what the others made for Picnic Day, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Cool off with ... Peach Pie Smoothie

It is summer in the US, so for this week's Eating with Ellie, Margaret has chosen the theme of Cool Off With ...  It has just entered winter here, so cooling off is not an issue for me.  However, I couldn't just submit "winter" as my post, so I flicked through my Ellie books and chose Peach Pie Smoothie from So Easy. 

This smoothie contains lots of cooling ingredients, like milk, yoghurt and ice.  The original recipe also contained frozen peaches; I have never seen frozen peaches sold here, but I keep my opened canned fruit in the fridge, so I used cold canned peaches.  The sum of all of this is a rather cooling drink.  The "pie" component comes from sprinklings of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and a little added sweetness comes from honey.

I made mine for breakfast one weekend morning, and I rather enjoyed it - it was nicer texturally for me than a banana smoothie I tried earlier in the year.

To see how my Ellie friends are cooling off, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

Eating with Ellie - Steak with Grainy Mustard Sauce and Parmesan "Fries" - Sauce It Up

For Eating with Ellie this week, Kayte chose the theme of Sauce It Up. 

I decided to make Steak with Grainy Mustard Sauce and Parmesan "Fries" from So Easy.  The mustard sauce was excellent with the steak. and I highly recommend this simple but tasty dish.  The "fries" (oven baked potato chips) were also very good with their cheesy finish.

To see what everyone else made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website. 

EwE - Chili Tortilla Chips - Garden Party

Originally, when Peggy suggested Garden Party as our theme for EwE this week, I was going to make sweets.  However, I then turned to the savoury side of things, because you need sweet and savoury at a Garden Party.

I made Ellie's Chili Tortilla Chips - recipe here.  I would use half the chilli powder next time as they were a little too hot for me, but otherwise, these were good.  They'd be excellent with a cooling dip like tzatziki.

To see what everyone else made for our Garden Party, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Chicken Paella with Sausages - As You Like It

For Eating with Ellie this week, I chose the theme of As You Like It.  This has nothing to do with Shakespeare's play of the same name - it simply means, make what you want.

I chose to make Ellie's Chicken Paella with Sausages and Olives from So Easy.  However, there was one slight problem.  When I went to use my jarred olives, they had grown a healthy layer of grey mould on top - so no olives in my paella.

This was simple to make and very tasty.  I like that the paella is finished off in the oven, which makes things super-simple by taking away the supervision factor. I would definitely make this again.

To see what everyone else liked to make this week, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Grilled Shrimp Po'Boy - Roll It Up, Roll It Up

For Eating with Ellie this week, Margaret chose the theme of Roll It Up, Roll It Up.  I decided to interpret this as something in a roll, and made Ellie's Grilled Shrimp Po'Boy from Comfort Food Fix. 

This Po'Boy was very easy and very tasty - grilled prawns in a roll with veggies and a tasty, zingy sauce.  I had to buy a few things I don't normally use (eg horseradish) but it was worth it.  I'd make this again.

To see what everyone else made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Apple and Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops with Mustard Wine Sauce - Mother's Favourite

 

This week's Eating with Ellie theme is Mother's Favourite, chosen by Kayte.  It coincides with Mother's Day this Sunday.

 

My mother likes very plain food, and I strongly suspect that many of Ellie's recipes would not appeal to her.  I therefore took the liberty of choosing what I would like for my favourite instead.

 

The recipe that I selected is Apple and Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops with Mustard Wine Sauce from Comfort Food Fix.  As the title of the dish suggests, pork chops are stuffed with apple, spinach - and sauerkraut!  The hardest part was cutting the pocket in the chops, and on the last one, I managed to cut my finger.

 

This dish was very hearty and good to eat.  I would make it again.

 

To see what the others made for this week's theme, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website. 

 

 

EwE - Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas - Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, so Peggy has chosen the seasonal theme of Cinco de Mayo Fiesta for this week's Eating with Ellie.

I decided to make Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas from So Easy - because they were so easy!  There was a traditional Mexican stew in another of my books, but it called for ingredients that I would find hard to obtain (hominy, tomatillos).

I was a bit worried that Chicken and Mushroom would be a little bland, but it is far from it - Ellie spices things up with cumin, chilli and oregano, so the end result is anything but bland.  I also highly recommend investing in the salsa and sour cream for the side.  I bought them thinking that they went into the quesadillas, and was miffed to learn that they were sides.  However, they really made the quesadillas delicious.

To see what everyone else made for Cinco de Mayo, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Good For You Shepherd's Pie - Mash-Ups

This week's Eating with Ellie theme is Mash Ups, chosen by me.  My pick for this theme is Ellie's Good For You Shepherd's Pie.

At first glance, it looks similar to any other Shepherd's Pie.  However, the "mash up" topping is not just potato - it is potato and cauliflower.  And the potatoes have their skins left on!  Also, there are heaps of veggies in the mince part of the pie - normally, a Shepherd's Pie has no veggies in the mince part.

I think that next time, I'd add a spoon of promite or similar to spice up the mince a bit, but otherwise, I really enjoyed this version of Shepherd's Pie, which is very satisfying.

To see what Mash Up madness everyone else got up to this week, visit the LYL section of EwE website.

EwE - Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal - An Apple A Day

Margaret chose An Apple A Day as the theme for this week's Eating with Ellie.  There are lots of Ellie recipes, sweet and savoury, that use apples, so there was plenty to choose from. 

I selected Ellie's Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal, which as well as apple, contains carrot, pecans and raisins (I used cranberries).

It looks and smells delicious, and tastes like dessert. I only made a half recipe because the full recipe made 8 serves (yikes!).

To see what everyone else made this week, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters - Easter Eats

For Eating with Ellie this week, Kayte chose the seasonal theme of Easter Eats.  For that reason, I decided that chocolate was the go.  (Sorry Kayte!)

I chose to make Ellie's Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters from So Easy.  And so easy they were.  Pour melted chocolate over chopped roasted almonds and dried cherries, spoon into mounds and set in the fridge. Voila!

These were delicious - you can't really go wrong.  It's a bit like making mendiants - ridiculously simple but so good nonetheless.

My Valentines Sonny Angel also happens to be a rabbit, so to get value for money, he is modelling my Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters too.

To see what everyone else made for Easter Eats this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Penne with Zucchini and Mint - Spring Harvest

This week's Eating with Ellie theme is Spring Harvest, chosen by Peggy.  I can still imagine it's spring here, because the weather has for the most part remained warm, despite us being in the second month of autumn.  To that end, I thought of fresh vegetables for this theme, and settled on Ellie's Penne with Zucchini and Mint.

This pasta was a nice, meat-free meal to have for lunch or dinner.  The zucchini gave it moisture and the mint gave it some zing.  The use of wholemeal pasta provides fibre and lowers GI.

To see what the others made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Healthier Pecan Pie - Sweetypie

 
I chose this week's theme of Sweetypie for Eating with Ellie.  My interpretation of this theme was to make Ellie's Healthier Pecan Pie from Comfort Food Fix. 

 

 
Ellie makes the pie crust healthier by replacing some of the butter with low fat cream cheese, and by using a mixture of wholemeal and plain flour.

She makes the filling healthier by using mashed sweet potato to replace some of the sugary bits.

All in all, this pecan pie was delicious - I liked it just as much as an ordinary pecan pie.

To see what the others made this week, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Roast Beef Sandwich with Watercress and Horseradish Sauce - Lunch! Soup Salad or Sandwich

For Eating with Ellie this week, our theme is Lunch! Soup or Salad or Sandwich.  I made Ellie's Roast Beef Sandwich with Watercress and Horseradish Sauce from So Easy (also online here).

They don't sell bread as pumpernickel here, so I opted for dark rye bread.  (Fun fact - pumpernickel means farting devil.) I also didn't find watercress, but I did find micro watercress, so I went with that.  I figured the flavour profile would be the same.

This was quite a tasty sandwich.  There was just the right balance of zing vs sweet, and the flavours melded well.

To see what the others made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - New Classic Meatloaf - March To Your Own Drummer

For Eating with Ellie this week, Kayte chose the theme of March to Your Own Drummer.  I interpreted this to mean I could make whatever I wanted to, so I made Ellie's New Classic Meatloaf from Comfort Food Fix.

This meatloaf may be a plain Jane, but it is very tasty.  I particularly liked how so many veggies were packed into the meatloaf itself (carrot, mushrooms, onion).  As you can see from the photo, they magically blend into the meatloaf so you'd never guess that they were there.

I served my meatloaf with frozen veggies, thereby increasing the vegetable serves in this dish even more.

To see what the others made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.   

EwE - Swedish Meatballs - Bite-Sized Dinner

Peggy chose this week's Eating with Ellie theme, Bite-Sized Dinner.  This one made me put my thinking cap on - what could I make to fill the brief?  Then I was flicking through Comfort Food Fix, and found Ellie's Swedish Meatballs recipe.  Perfect.  Meatballs are bite-sized!

One problem that I faced in making this dish is that I do not have a working broiler.  Ellie broils the meatballs to give them caramelisation instead of frying them.  Without caramelisation, the meatballs lacked a little flavour.  They did get better after day 1, but I strongly recommend that you either broil the meatballs as per the recipe, or if you don't have a broiler, shallow fry them in a fry pan.

To see what the others made for their bite-sized dinners, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

EwE - Better Beef Lasagne - Italian Night

Hey, mambo! Mambo Italiano!
Hey, mambo! Mambo Italiano
Go, go, go you mixed up Siciliano
All you Calabrese do the mambo like a crazy

                                                   From Mambo Italiano

For tap dancing, our first routine is for the Moomba Festival in Melbourne, which takes place annually on the Labour Day long weekend.  I will be away that weekend so I am not participating, but I still get to dance along with my class.  The theme for Moomba this year is food, with two chefs, Guy Grossi and Karen Martini, being crowned Moomba king and queen.

Our tap dance routine is to the dulcet tones of Dean Martin singing Mambo Italiano. I am not a great dancer, but I have a lot of fun at tap dancing, laughing at how clumsy I am sometimes.  Our dance moves include waving around a teatowel and a latex pizza.

When I chose the theme of Italian Night for Eating with Ellie this week, I had no idea I would be back at tap dancing after 15 years away, let alone that we would be dancing to an Italo-American song, but it happens to tie in nicely.

I decided to make Ellie's Better Beef Lasagne, from Comfort Food Fix. This lasagne cuts down on grease and calories by subbing some of the meat for portabello mushrooms, and subbing the white sauce for a mixture of spinach and ricotta.

I didn't have quite enough Napoli sauce, so for the top of my lasagne, I just used more ricotta and spinach.  This made my lasagne perhaps a little dryer than it should have been, but I enjoyed it regardless.  (Aside:  The recipe refers to "marinara" sauce, which in Australia is known as Napoli sauce.)

I couldn't find wholewheat lasagne sheets, so I went for organic ones instead. I also subbed the mozzarella for light cheddar.

This is one of those dishes that gets better with age.  The first night, I was not that enthused about it, but after that, the flavours developed and the lasagne sheets soaked up more moisture from the other ingredients so tasted better. (I did not pre-cook my lasagne sheets, which is not the norm for lasagne sheets here.)

I served my lasagne with steamed carrots and beans - delish!!  And I didn't miss the extra meat or the greasy white sauce.  I like the fact that the lasagne gets in an extra serve of veggies with the spinach.

To see what the others made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Sesame Shrimp Fried Rice with Cabbage - Travel to the Orient

For Eating with Ellie this week, Margaret chose the theme of Travel to the Orient.  I am off to China this week (at least in a Westernised sense) with my Sesame Shrimp Fried Rice with Cabbage.

This was pretty tasty - brown rice, prawns, cabbage, ginger, shallots, soy sauce, sesame seeds.  I made it and froze it for work lunches.

To see what the others made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Chicken Marsala - Your Heart's Desire

Kayte chose the theme of Your Heart's Desire to coincide with Valentines Day for Eating with Ellie this week.  I interpreted this to mean that I could make whatever I wanted to.  Where I took the theme is - if I was cooking Valentines Day dinner for my beloved, what would I make from Ellie's repertoire? 

I chose Ellie's Chicken Marsala from Comfort Food Fix.  It tastes a little bit naughty but is actually very nice, given its Ellie makeover.  The sauce is thick and sweet, containing marsala and mushrooms.  I served my chicken marsala with boiled beans and carrots that had been sexed up with a splosh of cream.

To see what everyone else desired this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.