What foods would you like to make?

Food preparation is not my thing. For many years I was hopeless when it came to preparing food, cooking or doing anything associated with kitchen creations.

In more recent years since I retired from full-time work, I have become a little more dipped in the kitchen, but you would not call me a creator. I have a little imagination when it comes to creating dishes.

Part of that is probably because exotic dishes do not appeal to me at all. There is no way that I could cook a cake and sweets from the point of creation is a complete no-no for me.

My favourite food is meat and three vegetables – the traditional Australian dinner born in the 1940s and 1950s. I have not transitioned into modern times when it comes to food and I’m never happier than when eating a meal of the “Traditional” food I have described.

It probably comes to the point where I am only good at creating one or two semi-traditional and nutritious dishes. That I can create anything, thanks to my wife, who has been patient in the teaching of food preparation to me.

I would like to add that my wife is an excellent creator of cakes and other wonderful dishes.

I HAVE learned to prepare two dishes.

Rissoles

Kilo of mince

2 eggs

2 French onion soup sachets

2 Tomato paste sachetes

Bread crumbs

Make patties, crumb then cook them

Cook 6 or 7 at a time in the frypan at Heat level 7

Cook for 6 or 7 minutes before turning for 6 or 7 minutes

When cool put six into a container with cooking paper separation and freeze.

This gives an immediate meal at the time of cooking and at least two meals to put away.

One kilogram of mince makes 18 patties, two kilograms makes 36 patties.

Lamb and Barley Soup

Ingredients

Two or three lamb shanks

Barley packet/grain mix

Celery half celery 10 sticks

3 onions white and little

Beef Stock 6 packs

Carrots 3

Cabbage quarter or half

Crockpot lamb shanks with stock until well cooked.

Remove from crockpot and pour stock into basin.

Reduce onions, celery, cabbage and carrots by blender in turn. When they have been reduced to a semi liquid state, pour into cooking pot.

Refrigerate the stock to allow fat to settle on top, then skim it off beforev adding to the cooking pot.

Lightly blend the meat and add it, the fat reduced stock and the pre-cooked barley/grains into the cooking pot.

Put barley and other grains/ seeds into crock pot, add stock and cook until soft and edible. Then add to the cooking pot.

When cooked, ladle into containers with sealed lids. Allow to cool, then freeze until ready to use.

The good thing about these preparations, is that food being prepared is good for some weeks into the future.

Now, for my next culinary adventure… !