Creamy Tomato Pasta

We were introduced to this dish years ago by a friend.  It is so easy to make, so delicious to eat, so simple to alter according to what you have in your pantry - it is a regular in our house.

500g pasta

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup cheese
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp of curry powder or mustard powder
1 tsp salt
300mls of cream (I often do half milk/half cream)

Optional: fresh ground pepper, finely chopped deli meat, finely chopped onion

1. Bring some water to the boil and drop the pasta in.  Cook until just done.  Drain off all the water.
2. Put the butter and the cheese into the hot pasta and stir until both have melted through evenly.  Cover with a lid.
3. If you choose to use deli meat and or onion I lightly fry these in butter or fat.
4. In a small pot put the tomato paste, sugar, curry or mustard, salt, and cream/milk.  Stir until combined and heat on a medium heat until warmed through.
5. Add the meat and onion to the creamy tomato sauce.
6. Tip the sauce over the cheesy pasta and stir.  
7. Serve on its own or as a side dish.

~Lorna

Persian Couscous Salad

Good for summer dinners - not too hot or heavy, perfect as an accompaniment to your favourite meat and a salad

2 cups of couscous
4 tsp of chicken stock
1 tsp sugar (or other natural sweetener like erythritol/stevia extract)
Grated rind of 1 lemon
4 cups of boiling water
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup pine-nuts
1 cup of dried fruit (currants, cranberries, diced prunes)
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped apricots
Chopped parsley, corriander

1. Mix couscous, stock powder, sugar, and grated lemon rind in a bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of boiling water.  Cover and leave to stand for 3 minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a pan and heat the dried fruit and nuts over a medium heat until the nuts brown lightly and the fruit swells a little.  
4. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add the nuts and fruit and some chopped herbs.  Stir to mix, and serve with meat and a green salad.

Tips for cooking couscous here

*Couscous is a type of pasta!  If you are interested this link to Wikipedia is really interesting.  

BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole

BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole

So easy and so yummy.

500g chicken
500g pasta
1 cup corn
3 tomatoes
1 onion diced
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cups ranch dressing
3/4 cup bbq sauce
1 cup cheese

1. Cook pasta until nearly done.  Set aside.
2. Cook the chicken and remove from bones.  Chop and set aside.
3. Heat oven to 180 degrees C and lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a large bowl combine diced tomatoes, diced onion, corn, cooked pasta and chopped chicken.  Add salt and pepper.  Mix well.
5. Mix the ranch dressing and bbq sauce well, and pour it in the bowl with other ingredients stirring to combine.  
6. Mix the first amount of cheese through.
7. Transfer the mixture into the casserole dish and spread it evenly.  Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe sourced from Will Cook For Smiles

~Lorna