Hints, Tips and Recipes for CSU University Students

Hints, Tips and Recipes for
CSU University Students

                              1

CONTENTS

General Information
The Basics on cooking / shopping for the kitchen   p.3

Cooking Tips to save Time & Money                  p.4

Study, Exams, Stress, and Healthy Eating           p.6

Standard Australian Metric Measurement             p.7

Common Cooking Terms                               p.10

Recipes

Breakfast                p.13

Mains                    p.15

Soups                    p.24

Pasta                    p.27

Savoury Snacks           p.35

Sweet Snacks             p.37

Biscuits                 p.39

                                                         2

THE BASICS ON COOKING / SHOPPING FOR THE KITCHEN

                                   Some tips to get you started

                                   Divide your shopping into two
                                   basic categories:
                                           necessary and
                                            optional.

                                    This way, in times of crisis, you
                                    know what you need and what
                                    you can live without!

                                    Write down everything you
                                   spend. This will truly amaze you!
Do it for a month and watch where your money is going.

Think of price per serving. Some things may seem expensive until you
figure out how many meals you can make from them.

Don t buy label food items when brands like Home brand and Black and
Gold sell exactly the same thing at a cheaper price. Be humble!

Don’t shop when you are hungry because you will be tempted to buy
goodies you don’t really need, want or can afford.

                                                                        3

COOKING TIPS TO SAVE TIME & MONEY

Your food cupboard

Stock your food cupboard and fridge with ingredients that are quick to
prepare and easy to cook. Suggestions for meals include:

       Soups- easy to make and nutritious, especially if you add lots of
       vegetables, beans or lentils. You can use canned or packet soup
       as a base and add your own herbs, spices and leftovers.

       Pasta- quick and easy to prepare. Keep pasta sauces in your
       cupboard and add your own variations and flavours.

       Rice- try making fried rice or risotto, or mix cooked rice with
       leftover vegetables and meat.

       Beans and lentils - canned varieties can make a quick and
       nutritious addition to soups and stews. Lentils and beans can be
       used as a main meal with vegetables added.

       Vegetables and fruit- make vegetable curries, stir-fries and
       vegetable patties and soups. Canned and frozen vegetables make
       a handy addition to last minute meals. Fruit is good for a quick
       nutritious snack.

       Meat and fish- tinned tuna is a great cupboard stand-by. Shop
       for cheap cuts of meat for stews and casseroles.

       Condiments- add flavour and interest to your cooking. Keep a
       selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, vinegars, tomato
       sauce, soy sauce and stock cubes in your cupboard.

                                                                          4

Cooking on a budget

These hints that can help you save money on food:

       Cook extra in the evening meal so you can use the leftovers for a
       quick meal the following night or for lunch.

       Cook double the amount then freeze what is left over in meal
       size portions.

       Shop at the local markets late for discounted fruit, vegetable and
       meat bargains.

       Buy in bulk (it’s usually cheaper) and freeze in smaller portion
       sizes to use as required.

       Use cheaper cuts of meat for curries and casseroles for long slow
       cooking, and then add extra vegetables and beans to make the
       meal go further.

       One-pot dishes where you throw everything in together saves
       energy, time, money and washing-up.

       Watch out for supermarket specials of staples (rice, pasta, pasta
       sauces, bread and tinned vegetables) and stock up on them when
       cheap. Bread can be frozen for at least two months, and items
       such as pasta and rice have a long shelf life.

       Limit takeaway foods; they are expensive, high in fat, high in
       salt and low in nutrition, and leave you hungry again a few hours
       after you eat them.

                                                                          5

STUDY, EXAMS, STRESS AND HEALTHY EATING

Healthy eating is especially important when you are under
stress. When you are rushing to try and meet deadlines, it’s
easy to skip meals and forget about healthy eating. But this is
when your body needs good nutrition the most.

When you are under stress or you need to concentrate, a
healthy diet will help to keep you focused. You can’t keep up
the pace if you only snack on takeaway food or bowls of
cereal. Keep up your energy levels with healthy snacks and
regular meals.

                                                              6

STANDARD AUSTRALIAN METRIC MEASUREMENT

1 cup contains 250 ml
1 litre contains 4 cups
1 tablespoon contains 20 ml
1 teaspoon contains 5 ml

Some metric spoon sets come from
England or the US where 1
tablespoon = 15ml. If you are
thickening sauces or if the recipe
has 2 tablespoons or more of and
ingredient, this can make a
significant difference, so check
your tablespoon size to avoid
disappointment.

Equipment

Basic kitchen equipment includes:

Saucepans with lids (large and small), fry pans, a wok, serving spoons
and wooden spoons, large and small sharp knives, cutting board,
vegetable peeler, grater, hand whisk and/or egg beater, storage
containers with lids (these can include empty margarine and yoghurt
containers and peanut butter jars etc - you don't need to spend a fortune
on Tupperware), aluminium foil, plastic wrap, a sieve or colander
(preferably metal rather than plastic) and mixing bowls (three different
sizes). A vegetable steamer is quite useful, but by no means essential. A
toaster and electric jug are also pretty handy, but you can always use the
stove if desperate, bearing in mind that the toaster and jug are cheaper to
run, especially if you only want to cook one slice of toast or heat enough
water for one cup of tea or coffee.

                                                                         7

Other useful equipment:

A hand held electric beater is relatively inexpensive and can be used for
a wide variety of things, including making cappuccino when all the
commercial outlets are closed, or you can't afford a commercial one. If
you eat a lot of rice, a rice cooker is great. Food processors are also
handy, although more expensive and a bit of a pain to wash. If you have
a relative who is missing you badly and wanting to find a way of
making a meaningful contribution to your personal comfort, try
dropping hints about a microwave. They also have a wide variety of
uses, but don't let anyone tell you that microwave cakes are just as good
as ones cooked in a conventional oven! A coffee plunger is also a good
thing to own if you like coffee. Ground coffee keeps fresh longer in the
refrigerator, but if you are sharing a fridge with others, you may find
that it disappears faster than you'd expect. It might be better to keep it in
a sealed container in your room.

Food Items

No matter what style of cooking you want to indulge in, onions and
garlic and potatoes are staples which keep well in a cool dark place.
(Well, maybe you won't want potatoes if you only cook Chinese food.)
Do not put potatoes in the light or they will go green and green potatoes
should not be eaten. They contain a substance (the name of which
escapes me, but who cares what it's called) which can build up in your
system to toxic levels over time.

Basil, oregano, bay leaves and mixed herbs are all useful in French
and Italian style cooking. Collect small glass containers with airtight
lids to store herbs and spices in, and then buy them in cellophane
packets to refill your bottles. They're much cheaper to buy in packets,
but don't keep well in them. Forget about trendy spice racks on kitchen
walls - herbs and spices keep much better away from the light.

                                                                            8

Tomato paste is also an essential for French and Italian food. This is
cheapest bought in large containers. In Armidale, you can keep unused
tomato paste in an airtight bottle in the fridge, but in more humid
climates, you may need to pour a little oil on top of the paste to keep it
from growing mould. You can also freeze it in small quantities if you
wish. Canned tomatoes are also very useful and a cheap way of buying
tomatoes for cooking.

For Asian cooking green ginger is a staple ingredient. This keeps for
several weeks unpeeled in the crisper of the fridge or can be peeled and
stored covered with sherry in the fridge or frozen wrapped in foil or put
in a zip-lock plastic bag. It is possible to grate frozen ginger, but it's a
little chilly on the fingers, especially in winter.

For Asian food, you will also need cornflour, soy sauce and perhaps
oyster sauce, fish sauce and Chinese five spice. Ordinary soy sauces
can be stored at room temperature unless it is very hot or you take a
long time to use a bottle, but low salt soy sauce should be refrigerated
after opening. All the supermarkets in town stock a range of ingredients
for Asian foods, but some have a wider range than others.

If you want to cook curries, it is possible to buy a variety of curry
powders and curry pastes from supermarkets. I find that blending spices
produces a better result as you can control how much of each ingredient
you add, and it's cheaper, but it's also slower. Using ready-ground spices
is easier and faster than grinding your own unless you have an electric
spice and coffee grinder (you cannot grind whole spices in a food
processor).

Plain and self-raising flour,
sugar, salt, pepper and eggs are
also all very useful things to keep
around and you might like to add
tomato, chilli and/or barbeque
sauce as well.

                                                                           9

Oil and cooking spray are also useful. Cooking spray is obviously
more expensive than ordinary oil and there are some things that you
simply can't use it for. Olive oil and canola oil are best health-wise in
that they're rich in unsaturated fat. The darker an olive oil is, the more
olive flavour it will give to your food.

                    COMMON COOKING TERMS

"Bake" Baking refers to cooking food in the dry heat of an oven. Foods
commonly baked are breads, cakes, and roasts.

"Blanch" Blanching refers to the method of loosening the skin on
vegetables and fruits by plunging them into boiling water for a short
period of time. Blanching is also used to help preserve their colour

"Boil" Boiling refers to cooking foods fully immersed in boiling water,
where bubbles are constantly breaking the surface of the water. Foods
commonly cooked this way are pastas, vegetables, and soups.

"Braise" Braising refers to cooking food long and slow in a few inches
of liquid. The food is not quite covered by the liquid, producing both a
steaming and stewing effect. This long, slow cooking method allows
you to use less expensive cuts of meat because the fibres break down,
making it tender. Foods commonly braised are large, tough cuts of meat
such as chuck steak. Vegetables and broth are usually added to produce
a tasty mixture of flavours.

"Broil" Broiling refers to cooking food in an oven with an intense heat
source above the food. Broiling pans are usually used to hold the food,
allowing the fat to be collected in the pan under the grate so that flare
ups don't occur. Foods commonly broiled are steaks, poultry, fish fillets,
and vegetables

"Grill" Grilling refers to cooking food over an intense source of heat.
This heat is usually provided by charcoal or gas grills. Because of the

                                                                             10

high heat, using thinner pieces of meat or vegetables produces the best
results. Popular items cooked on a grill are steaks, chicken, ribs, fish
fillets and vegetables.

"Fry" Frying refers to cooking food in fat over high heat. Deep-frying
refers to immersing the food entirely in hot fat and cooking until crispy.
Common fried foods are eggs, vegetables, and hamburgers. Common
deep-fried foods are French fries and breaded vegetables.

"Parboil" Parboiling refers to partially cooking foods by plunging them
briefly into boiling water. Foods commonly parboiled are potatoes,
carrots, and rice.

"Poach" Poaching refers to cooking foods in simmering, but not
boiling liquid. Liquids could be water or vegetable stock. Foods
commonly poached are eggs and fish.

"Roast" Roasting refers to cooking food uncovered in an oven.
Commonly roasted foods are meat roasts, poultry, fish and root
vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes.

"Sauté" Sautéing refers to cooking food in a hot pan, and is sometimes
referred to as pan-frying. Butter or oil may be used to keep the food
from sticking to the pan. Sautéing is performed in a pan over medium-
high to high heat and constant attention must be used to keep the food
from burning. Foods commonly sautéed are vegetables, steaks, chicken
breasts, and fish fillets. Sautéing cooks the seasoning into the vegetables
and acts to sear steaks, chicken breasts, and fish fillets to trap the juices
in the meat.

"Scald" Scalding refers to heating milk over medium-low heat until it
foams, but doesn't boil. This is primarily done to shorten cooking times
when making sauces and custards.

"Sear" Searing refers to subjecting the food to high heat in a pan, under
a broiler or in the oven to quickly brown it. Searing helps to lock in the
                                                                         11

juices in foods such as steaks before completing the cooking process.
Foods commonly seared are steaks and beef roasts.

"Simmer" Simmering refers to gently cooking food in liquid that is
heated to just below the boiling point. Foods commonly simmered are
soups and stews.

"Steam" Steaming refers to cooking food over a small amount of
simmering or boiling liquid in a covered pot. The trapped steam does
the cooking. Foods commonly steamed are vegetables and shellfish.

"Stew" Stewing refers to cooking food long and slow, completely
covered in liquid. This long, slow cooking method allows you to use
less expensive cuts of meat because the fibres break down, making it
tender. Foods commonly stewed are cut-up pieces of tough cuts of meat
such as chuck steak, and pre-cut-up meat called stew meat in the stores.
Stews consist of vegetables, broth, and stew meat simmered for a long
time to combine the flavours.

"Stir-fry" Stir-frying is a method of frying. It is a technique usually
used in preparing oriental dishes. Food is cooked in a wok with a small
amount of oil over high heat. The food is continually tossed and stirred
until cooked. Foods commonly used in stir-fry are diced chicken,
chopped celery, bean sprouts, onion, and a number of oriental
vegetables.

                                                                        12

BREAKFAST

French toast (Kylie Gough)

2 eggs
¾ cup milk
Bread

Mix eggs and milk together in a bowl.
Preheat fry pan to high.
Place bread into egg mix and coat thoroughly.
Transfer bread to fry pan until bread is browned and then flip and repeat
process.
Serve with hot spreads.

Spreads: Golden syrup, honey, jam, butter are just examples.
Try adding a tsp of cinnamon to the egg mixture.

Mummy’s Breakfast Special (Nicole Makrides)

2 eggs
2 pieces of toast
Handful of rocket
½ tomato
½ avocado
1 garlic clove
Olive oil for taste

Poach eggs. While eggs are poaching prepare toast.
Cut garlic in ½ and smear onto toast.
Place a handful of rocket on toast.
Slice tomato and layer on top of rocket.
Carefully place egg on top of tomato.
Slice avocado thinly and place on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

                                                                          13

Pikelets with Strawberries and Chocolate (Rosemary Cullies)

3 cups SR flour
1 egg
Enough milk for a smooth mix
½ cup sugar
Melted butter, enough to cover the bowl
Strawberries (or other fruit) with chocolate topping

Mix flour, sugar, melted butter, egg and milk until smooth.
Cook in microwave butter bowls (flat dishes) until mixture is gone.
Pile on a plate, cool and decorate with strawberries, or other fruit.
Drizzle with chocolate topping.

                                                                        14

MAINS

Shepard’s Pie

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
200g lean minced Veal or Beef
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
1 X 125g can dices tomatoes
1 ½ cups diced celery
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ beef stock cube, dissolved in ¼
cup hot water
300g cooked peeled potatoes, hot
¼ cup reduced fat milk
Pepper and garlic salt, to taste

Heat Oil in non-stick frypan; add meat and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until
browned.
Stir in carrots, tomato, celery, onion, tomato paste, thyme and stock.
Reduce heat, cover and cook stirring often for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile place potatoes, milk, pepper and garlic salt in a bowl and
mash until smooth.
Place veal mixture into a casserole dish and arrange mash potato is
golden brown. Garnish with a sprig of thyme

Note:
Serve with lightly steamed or stir fries green vegetables (for example,
beans, broccoli, snow peas)

                                                                          15

Lentil Fudge Pie

Crumb Crust:
1 ½ cups wholemeal breadcrumb
4 Tbs melted margarine
1 Tbs granulated sugar

Fudge Filling:
2 ½ tsp cocoa
3 Tbs water
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup treacle
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs separated
 1 ½ cups green lentil puree

To make lentil puree, cook the lentils as directions on packet. Once
cooked blend with food processor, until a thick consistency is formed.
Set aside until required.

In a bowl, combine crumbs, margarine and sugar. Press into a deep
23cm pie tin. Chill. In a bowl, combine cocoa and water. Mix well.
Add sugar, treacle, vanilla and egg yolks. Beat together with electric
mixer for 2 minutes on medium. Fold in lentil puree.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into lentil puree
mixture. Turn into pie tin. Bake 40 minutes or until knife inserted
comes out clean.
Remove and cool thoroughly. Refrigerate. Use a wet knife to slice pie
into 12 pieces.

                                                                         16

Dahl (Erin Kuilart)

1 cup Red lentils
1 medium onion
2 x Garlic cloves
1 tsp Fresh ginger
1 red chilli
1 tsp garam marsala
½ tsp turmeric
400g Tin Tomato
2 cups water
Pinch of salt

Rinse and drain lentils
Heat oil; cook onion, garlic, ginger and chilli over low-med heat until
soft.
Add spices and lentils and sauté for one minute.
Add tomatoes and water and bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and cook
for 15 mins.
Add seasoning and cook until thick.

Lentil Burgers

4 cups cooked McKenzie’s Whole Green
Lentils – very well drained (see notes)
1 medium carrot, grated
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg beaten
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, with dried mixed
herbs if liked
½ cup plain flour
2 tbsp peanut butter

                                                                     17

1 tbsp soy sauce
Pepper and salt
Oil for frying

Mix all ingredients (except oil) together very well. Refrigerate for 30
min
With floured hands form into burgers and refrigerate again for 30 min
Heat a little oil in a pan and cook burgers for about 3 min on each side,
using more oil for next batch

Note:
These keep well in the fridge so it’s worth making a large quantity.
They can be served either hot or cold with your favourite sauce or
yoghurt.
To make the 4 cups of cooked lentils you will need 2 cups or 350g of
dried lentils.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls/Rice Paper Rolls (Jessica Harding)

You can have everything chopped and roll your own at the table.

Rice Paper
Rice Vermicelli noodles
Bowl of warm water
Carrot peeled and cut into sticks (1 carrot approx 16 sticks)
Cucumber cut into sticks
Marinated Firm Tofu (see below) cut into sticks
Mint or Coriander or both, finely chop

Soak the vermicelli according to packet.
Have all ingredients/fillings chopped. Put on plates and bring to the
table, also the rice vermicelli, and rice paper, plus one or two bowls of
warm to hot water, to soak rice paper in.

                                                                        18

Soak rice paper until soft. Let it drip over bowl and then bring to your
plate.
Lay out rice paper on your plate. Put approx one small handful of rice
vermicelli noodles on the rice paper first, put a pinch of herbs on top
plus approx one to two pieces of each other filling on top
Bring sides into the middle first, and then fold in the ends
You now should have a rice paper roll.

Tofu Marinade:
Mix together 3 Tbs of honey and 4 Tbs of soy sauce in a container and
place tofu in and soak overnight.

For extra taste: set aside one small dish for sweet chilli sauce and one
for soy sauce. Dip your rolls into the sauces.

Angus Chowder (Angus Curnow)

2 medium onions
6 rashers bacon
6 medium potatoes
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn kernels
2 cloves garlic
Salt and black pepper
Parsley
300 ml cream
1 litre chicken stock

Cook diced bacon rashers and diced onion until golden brown.
Add diced potato, parsley, garlic and both cans of corn with the juice to
the bacon and onion.
Add stock and cream shortly after.
Bring to the boil and simmer until potatoes soften.
Blend slightly to thicken the soup.
Serve with crusty bread.
                                                                        19

Vegetable Fried Rice (Elizabeth Ridgway)

2 eggs
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbs water
2 carrots grated
½ small red pepper
3 zucchinis grated
1 stick celery thinly sliced
1 cup cooked rice
2 Tbs soy sauce

Whisk eggs and then cook in pan.
Once egg is cooked; remove and chop.
Combine onion, garlic, ginger and water in pan, cook over heat until
onion is soft.
Add carrots, pepper, zucchini and celery, cook for 2 mins.
Stir in rice, sauce and chopped eggs, stir over heat until heated thru.

Noodle and Tuna with Cheddar Cheese (Rosemary Cullies)

2x packets 2 min noodles
2x 100g tins of tuna (or seafood)
Shaved Cheddar Cheese

Cook noodles in microwave for 5 mins
Drain excess liquid
Mix tuna, noodles and cheese. Cook for 5 minutes.

                                                                          20

Chicken Tortillas (Shien Shien)

Tortillas
1 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 cup plain flour
60g butter
½ cup water

Topping
1 Tbs oil
125g chicken mince
125g chorizo sausage, chopped
2 tsp chilli paste
1 large onion
1 medium green capsicum, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180◦. Brush two oven trays with butter or oil.

Tortillas:
Place cornmeal, flour and butter in food processor.
Using pulse action for 20 seconds or until mixture is fine and crumbly.
Add almost all the water, process for 5 seconds or until combined. (Soft
dough)
Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute until smooth.
Divide dough into eight portions; roll each out to 10 cm circle.
Place on to oven trays and bake for 15 mins.

Topping:
Heat oil in heavy frying pan, add chicken mince and sausage, stir fry over
high heat for 4 minutes or until well-browned and all liquid evaporated.
Use a fork to break up any lumps as mince cooks.
Add chilli paste, onion and capsicum, stir fry for 3 minutes or until tender.
Spread tortillas with tomato paste, top with chicken mixture, sprinkle with
cheese. Bake for 10 mins or until golden brown.
                                                                           21

Ghetto Pizza

2 Tbs spaghetti sauce
1 slice of white bread
1 slice of cheese

Put the sauce on the bread and cover with cheese.
Optional: pepper, dried oregano

Put in the toaster oven, grill or oven until cheese bubbles

You can substitute bread with English muffins, Bagels,

Herbed Potatoes

Make up the filling just before serving

3 large potatoes
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 small carrot, chopped
75g broccoli, chopped
150g reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Scrub and dry potatoes.
Prick potatoes all over with a skewer, bake in moderate oven for 1 hour
Cut potatoes in half, scoop out flesh leaving 1cm shell; reserve flesh.
Place shells on oven tray, bake in hot oven for 10 minutes.
Spoon filling into shells, (see below) and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake in moderate oven for 15 minutes or until hot

Filling:
Boil, steam or microwave carrot and broccoli until soft, drain
Beat cheese in a small bowl until smooth, stir in potato flesh, carrot
mixture and chives.
                                                                         22

BBQ Beans (Kylie Gough)

1 tin tomato soup (420g)
2 tin 3 bean mix (420g)
1 brown onion
2 celery sticks
½ capsicum
3 rashers bacon
Cheese
Chilli paste
Chop onion, celery, capsicum and bacon. Put into frying pan and cook
until onion is transparent.
Add chilli and stir
Add beans and soup mix, stir thoroughly
Place ingredients into an oven proof dish, top with cheese.
Bake @ 180◦ for 30 mins.

Tip:
Any other vegetable can be used i.e. corn, mushroom
Chilli’s can be in the form of fresh, paste or flecked

                                                                   23

SOUPS

Pumpkin and Chickpea Soup

750g peeled butternut pumpkin
cut into 4 cm thick pieces
2 cloves of garlic
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 leak, finely sliced
2 X 440g cans of chickpeas
4cm knob of ginger peeled and
finely chopped
2 litres low salt vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place garlic whole with skin intact into a
roasting tray with pumpkin
Scatter thyme over the pumpkin and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 min
With your leek, make an incision with your knife half way through it
from top to bottom, slightly open and wash thoroughly and thinly slice.
Place your leeks into a heavy based pot with 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry
over a low heat until they are soft and translucent.
Squeeze your garlic into the pot add the roasted pumpkin, chopped
ginger, chickpeas and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil with a lid on.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min. Puree soup with a blender and
serve.

Note:
Serve with chopped parsley leaves, a drizzle of yoghurt and crusty
wholegrain bread on the side.
This recipe has over half the recommended serves of vegetables
required each day.

                                                                      24

Chinese Noodle Broth

1 litre vegetable stock
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fresh ginger sliced thinly
100g shiitake mushrooms sliced
250g egg noodles
150g Bok Choy (bulb removed, sliced)

Combine stock, soy and ginger in a large pot
Add mushrooms and boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 10
mins. Season to taste.
Cook noodles according to packet, divide amongst bowls, top with bok
Choy and broth.

Leek, Potato and Bacon Soup (Jo Skillen)

2 tsp butter
175g potatoes diced
4 leeks shredded
2 cloves garlic
100g bacon diced
3 ¾ cup vegetable stock
1 cup cream/yoghurt/milk
2 tsp parsley
Salt and pepper

Melt butter and cook potatoes, leeks, garlic, bacon and sauté for 5 mins.
Add stock and boil. Reduce heat; simmer with lid until potatoes are
cooked.
Stir in cream/milk/yoghurt.
Reserve some whole vegetables and blend remainder.
Put the chunky bits, blended portion and chopped parsley in pot and
mix.

                                                                       25

Minestrone Soup

½ pkt Italian style soup mix
1 ½ Tbs onion
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs parsley
1 medium carrot
¼ cup of oil
120g tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup shell noodles or macaroni
2 Tbs rice

Soak Italian soup mix for 6-8 hrs or overnight.
Drain and add 6 cups of fresh water and cook until tender (approx
45mins)
Chop onion, celery, garlic, parsley, carrot, and sauté in oil until golden
brown.
Add tomato paste and chopped cabbage. Season to taste.
Add this mixture to the cooked soup mix and add half cup shell noodles
or macaroni and rice. Simmer for 30mins.
Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

                                                                        26

PASTA

Fettuccine with pumpkin, pine nuts
and poppy seeds

1 tbsp pine nuts
500g fettuccine
1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
2 cloves garlic
500g butternut pumpkin, peeled, sliced thinly
½ cup vegetable or chicken stock (125ml)
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Cook pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a low heat, tossing frequently
until light brown. Do not burn. Set aside.
Cook fettuccine according to packet directions. Drain well when
cooked.
While fettuccine is cooking, heat oil add garlic and pumpkin slices.
Cook, turning frequently, for 4 to 5 min.
Add chicken stock and simmer for a couple of mins so that pumpkin is
tender but not mushy.
Add poppy seeds.
Place fettuccine in warmed serving bowls, top with pumpkin and
sprinkle with pine nuts and parsley.

Note:
Pumpkin makes this a deliciously high-fibre dish. Use a strongly
flavoured, extra virgin olive oil, if possible. For vegetarians, use
vegetable stock rather than chicken stock. Use egg free pasta if you are
preparing food for people with an allergy to egg.

                                                                       27

Pasta spirals with Pumpkin and Pesto

500g spiral pasta
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (see Notes)
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock
450g butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Start cooking pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water.
Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese into a food
processor and process until finely chopped.
With the motor running, gradually add the oil and stock and process until
well combined.
Steam or microwave the pumpkin cubes until tender.
When the pasta is cooked, but still firm (al dente), drain and return to the
pan.
Add the pesto, stir to coat the pasta, then add the pumpkin and toss
through. Season with pepper and serve immediately with a crisp green
salad.

Notes:
Toasted pine nuts add good flavour. Spread nuts on an oven tray and
bake in a preheated oven (180°C) for about 3 min or place in dry frypan
and toss over medium heat until golden.

                                                                         28

Pasta Spirals with Chicken and Mushrooms

500g spiral pasta
500g skinless chicken breast fillets, chopped into small cubes
200g mushrooms, quartered
5 spring onions, sliced
1 ½ tbsp cornflour
1 X 375 ml can reduced fat evaporated milk
½ cup chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola or olive oil spray

Start cooking the spirals in a large saucepan of boiling water.
Spray a non-stick frypan or wok with oil and heat. Cook the chicken
over hight heat for about 5 min or until browned. Remove from the pan
and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium; add the mushrooms and spring onions to
the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 min or until soft.
Put cornflour into a small bowl and gradually add 1/3 cup milk, stirring
until smooth. Pour the remaining milk and chicken stock into the pan,
and then gradually add the cornflour mixture, stirring constantly. Keep
stirring until the sauce boils and thickens. Season to taste.
Stir the chicken mixture into the sauce and gently heat through. When
the pasta is cooked but still firm (al dente), drain and serve topped with
the sauce.

Note:
Use wholemeal pasta if you want to increase your fibre intake. Serve
with a salad or add more vegetables to the pasta to make a complete
meal.

                                                                        29

Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Basil and Tuna Fillet

800g Queensland blue pumpkin, peeled seeled and cut into 2cm cubes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
½ red capsicum, seeded and sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup basil leaves, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 X 210g can tuna filled, cut into 2cm cubes
400g dried pasta shapes, (for example penne)
100g semi-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Black pepper, cracked

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Place pumpkin, onion, capsicum, olive oil, basil and garlic in a shallow
roasting pan, season to taste.
Toss to coat in oil.
Roast at 200°C for 20-30 min or until pumpkin is soft.
Squeeze cooked garlic from cloves and stir through pumpkin mixture.
Add tuna and semi-dried tomatoes and roast for another 5 min or until
pumpkin is browned around edges.
Cook pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until just tender (al dente).
Drain pasta and return to saucepan, add pumpkin mixture and toss to
combine.

Note:
Top with Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper
Use egg free pasta if you are preparing food for people with an allergy
to egg.

                                                                         30

Chilli Spaghetti (Deanne Tilden)

Packet of Spaghetti
Fresh chilli’s (as many or little as you like)
Chopped garlic – 4-5 cloves
Chopped parsley
Chopped olives
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Cook Spaghetti as per packet.

In a pan heat a generous amount of olive oil.
Add garlic and chilli, stir constantly whilst they cook.
Add olives and stir, once heated thru add parsley, make sure all
ingredients are well coated in oil, if not add some more.
Add pasta and stir thru, top with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Island Pasta (Elisabeth Carter)

500g pasta shells
2x 425g cans tomato soup
2x425g cans pineapple pieces
1 diced green capsicum
1x415g tuna drained (or left over
chicken, fish, prawns and beef.)

Cook pasta and drain.
Heat tomato soup and juice from
pineapple pieces stirring gently until boiling, and then add capsicum and
pineapple.
Put tuna in an oven proof dish, spread around the base and spread
cooked pasta on top.
Pour over hot tomato soup evenly. Cover and bake in @ 180◦ for 20
mins, sprinkle cheese over top if desired.

                                                                      31

BBQ Pasta (Kylie Gough)

1x 420g tomato soup
2 cups pasta
1 brown onion
2 celery sticks
½ capsicum
3 bacon rashers
Cheese
Chilli paste

Cook pasta according to packet. Drain.
Chop onion, celery, capsicum and bacon.
Put into a frying pan and cook until onion is transparent, add chilli and
stir. Add pasta and soup. Stir thoroughly. Place ingredients into an
oven proof dish.
Top with cheese. Bake @ 180◦ for 30 mins.

Tip:
Any other vegetables can be added
Chilli’s can be fresh, paste or flaked

Quick and Easy Pasta Tuna Bake

1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
429g can Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
425g can tuna, drained, and flaked
250g dried large shell pasta, cooked, drained’
1 ½ cups grated tasty cheese
1 tbsp chopped chives, to garnish

Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease an 8-cup (2L) capacity ovenproof
dish.

                                                                        32

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook,
stirring occasionally, for 5 min or until is soft.
In a large bowl mix onion soup, tuna and cooked pasta until combined
then place into prepared ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake
for 20 min until golden brown.
Garnish with chives and serve with your favourite steamed vegetables
or a fresh green salad.

You can make Tuna & Vegetable Pasta Bake by adding 1 clove garlic,
crushed with the onion and 1 cup of your favourite frozen mixed
vegetables with the soup.

Lentil Lasagne (Erin Kuilart)

1 Tbs olive oil
2 brown onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3x400g tins chopped tomatoes
3 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
4 zucchinis thinly sliced
Lasagne sheets
500g ricotta
1 cup grated cheese
250g red lentils

Heat oil in pan and cook onions.
Add garlic and tomatoes, cover and bring to the boil over high heat.
Reduce to simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and salt and pepper.
Add lentils and stock to the pan, boil and reduce heat.
Meanwhile cook zucchini till soft.

                                                                       33

Layer lasagne dish with lasagne sheets, lentil mixture, zucchini and
ricotta.
Repeat this for several layers. Top with grated cheese.
Bake @ 200◦ for 40-45 mins.

Tuna Mornay (Kylie Gough)

2 Tbs margarine
½ cup SR flour
1 cup milk
1 ½ cup grated cheese
525g tin tuna
1 brown onion
2 celery sticks
½ capsicum
Salt & Pepper
Pasta
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Cook pasta according to packet. Drain.
Melt butter, add flour and stir until mixture becomes coagulated.
Gradually add milk stirring constantly until all the milk is gone and
mixture resembles a white sauce.
Add 1 cup cheese, onion, celery, capsicum, tuna, salt and pepper. Stir
thoroughly.
Pour pasta into a casserole dish, spread evenly
Then spread tuna mix evenly on top.
In a separate bowl mix together breadcrumbs and remaining cheese.
Sprinkle breadcrumb mix evenly on top.
Bake @ 180◦ for 30 mins.

Tip:
Add any other vegetable you like
Stir pasta thru rather than layer; use rice instead of pasta.

                                                                         34

SAVORY SNACKS

Crack an Egg Pies

6 slices wholemeal bread, crusts removed
40g Australian Butter
6 X 45g eggs
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup grates Australian Swiss Cheese

Flatten each slice of bread with a rolling pin; spread both sides of bread
with butter and press into muffin tins.
Crack an egg into the centre of each muffin bread case. Sprinkle with
spring onion and cheese.
Bake at 180°C for 20 min or until the egg has set.

Zucchini Slice

2 Medium Zucchini Sliced
1 onion chopped
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup self-rasing flour
6 eggs, beaten together

Coarsely grated unpeeled zucchini
Add chopped onion, cheese, flour and eggs
Pour into greased baking dish
Bake in moderate oven (180°C) for 20 min or until set. Test with a
skewer. The skewer should come out clean. Slice will be firm to touch.

Notes:
Use half white flour, half wholemeal flour for extra fibre. You could
also add a couple of slices of chopped up ham.

                                                                        35

Quick Quiche (Kylie Gough)

1 cup SR flour
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 brown onion
3 celery sticks
Capsicum
3 rashers bacon
4 mushrooms
Salt/pepper
1 cup grated cheese

Mix flour, milk, eggs together and beat thoroughly. Chop onion,
capsicum, celery, bacon, mushrooms. Add grated cheese and chopped
ingredients to egg mix. Mix thoroughly. Pour into an oven proof dish
and bake 180◦ for 1 hour.

Tip:
You can add any variation of vegetables to the basic mix – roast
vegetables, corn, spinach, chicken etc.

Bake Beans

250g Haricot beans
425g can tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped and sautéed (optional)
Half tsp mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp treacle or molasses
Salt and pepper
1 tsp stock powder if desired

Prepare and cook beans as per packet.

                                                                   36

Drain; reserving a small quantity.
Mix together the treacle, mustard and sugar with a small quantity of the
tomato puree and stock powder.
Add remaining ingredients

SWEET SNACKS

Peanut Honey Snaps (gluten free) (Toby Perry)

½ jar honey
½ jar peanut butter
Mix together with a fork for one minute. Roll into little balls – 2cm
wide – place on silicone paper or greased tray and bake at 180◦ for 15-
20 mins.
Allow to go completely cool to get to there crunchiest.

Muesli Bar (Erin Kuilart)

350g muesli
200g dates
1 tsp mixed spice
½ cup golden syrup
¾ cup plain flour
2 eggs lightly beaten

Mix dry ingredients.
Add eggs and golden syrup
Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are covered and sticky.
Press into a greased lasagne tray approx 2cm thick.
Bake @ 180◦ for approx 30 mins or until golden.

                                                                      37

Peanut, Banana and Honey combo (Shein Shein)

Peanut butter
Honey
Banana
Bread

Slather slice of bread with peanut butter, place sliced banana on top and
then drizzle with honey.

Have as an open or closed sandwich, or try grilling it.

Balm Brack (Erin Kuilart)

This is a cheap and healthy ‘fruit cake’ that contains no milk, butter or
oil so is very low in fat. It is made from cold tea.

450 ml cold tea
220g brown sugar
375g mixed fruit (adding dates and sultanas make it moist)
315g SR flour (can use wholemeal)
1 egg

Place sugar, tea and dried fruit in a bowl, cover and leave to soak
overnight.
Grease 8” round cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin
Beat egg, stir into mixture then add flour
Bake for 1 hr @ 180◦ or 30-45 mins for loaf tin
Turn out to cool.
Serve with butter if desired.

                                                                        38

BISCUITS

Oat and Linseed Cookies (Erin Kuilart)

1 ½ cup rolled oats
½ cup linseeds
½ cup honey
½ cup peanut butter or tahina
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl
Add honey and peanut butter and stir to combine
Line baking tray with baking paper.
Roll mix into balls approx the size of golf balls
Squash lightly with the back of a spoon or fork
Bake @ 140-150◦ for approx 10 mins or until golden brown.

Choc Cookies (Kylie Gough)

225g butter
1 cup sugar
2 ½ cups SR flour
1 tin condensed milk
½ cup cooking chocolate
1/3 cup coco

Place butter and sugar in a bowl, beat until light and creamy.
Stir in flour, condensed milk, coco and grated chocolate.
Mix well.
Half the mixture and shape into logs and wrap in non stick baking paper
and refrigerate for 30 mins. Then slice into 1 ½ inch thick cookies.
Bake @ 180◦ for 8-10 mins.

Tip: you can add sultanas, nuts or choc chips. Logs can also be frozen
for future use.

                                                                         39

Spice Cookies

125g margarine
½ cup castor sugar
1 egg
1 cup chopped pitted dates
½ cup walnut pieces
1 cup SR flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
4 breakfast cereal wheat biscuits, crushed

Place margarine and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer
until light and creamy.
Add egg and beat well
Stir through dates and walnuts, add sifted flour and spices. Mix well.
Form spoonfuls of mixture into balls and roll in crushed wheat biscuits.
Place on a lightly greased oven tray and press down with a fork.
Bake @ 180◦ for 15 mins or golden brown.

Tip:
If you like chewier cookies try cooking them for 15mins.

       Good eating doesn’t = big $’s
                                                                      40

Recipe’s for this book were
contributed by CSU students/staff
and was an initiative of Division of
Student Services Health Promotion
             Service.

   Division of Student Services / Health Promotion Service

                                                             41