Family Mess Hall - whole food meals dinners recipes

Roast pumpkin, romaine and miso salad I love this salad so much.  The combination of sweet roasted pumpkin with lemon and miso is a delight.  This dressing is not for the faint hearted though.  It's deeply sour, salty and umami and perfectly complements the caramelly pumpkin.   Make the lemon miso dressing Ingredients: 1/2 lemon ((juiced and zested)) 1 sachet instant miso soup ((or pure miso paste for vegetarians)) 1-2 tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame oil Method: 1. Mix together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  If you find it too strong, you can add a teaspoon of hot water. The salad Ingredients: 750 grams pumpkin or butternut squash (cut into thin 1cm (1/2 inch) slices) 1/2 lemon ((juice only)) 2 spring onions ((chopped)) 1/4 head cauliflower (in florets) ((microwaved steamed for 6 minutes)) 1 - 2 baby romaine / cos lettuce 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup roasted almonds ((roughly chopped or flaked)) 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds 1/4...

The ultimate family lasagne This ultimate, classic family lasagne will feed the masses.  It includes unexpected superfoods such as olive oil, leafy greens and tomatoes.  Classic bechamel add creaminess and eight type of vegetables make it nutrient dense. Make the tomato beef sauce Ingredients: 2 onions ((chopped)) 4 cloves garlic ((chopped)) 1 large carrot ((finely diced)) 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) ((finely diced)) 1 kg ground beef mince 2 cups mushrooms ((sliced) optional) 1 medium eggplant ((diced)) 1 stalk celery ((chopped)) 1/2 cup white or red wine 1 bottle tomato passata 1 tin crushed tomatoes 1 tsp each of dried oregano and basil ((use fresh if available)) 1 bay leaves 10 pork chipolata or spicy italian sausage (optional) ((cooked and sliced)) 1 tsp each of sugar, salt and ground pepper Method: Heat a large saucepan to medium high heat.  In a little oil, cook the onions, capsicum and carrots until they have softened.  Add the ground beef and brown well...

Ants Climbing Trees - Spicy szechuan noodles with beef and green beans Ingredients: Stir fry 1 large handful green beans ((topped, tailed and halved)) 400 grams ground beef mince 1 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp sesame oil 2 spring onions (chopped) 1 tsp minced ginger 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp chinese chilli bean paste (toban jian) 1 handful dried shiitake mushrooms ((rehydrated and finely chopped)) 1 package chinese bean thread / glass noodles Sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame oil 250 ml chicken stock Method: Soak noodle in water for 10 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add green beans and shallow fry until wrinkly.   Add all other stir fry ingredients and cook until the beef is well browned. Add drained noodles and sauce ingredients to the pan and continue to stir fry until the noodles have softened and the sauce has reduced and thickened.  Add salt to taste. Serve with rice and other chinese side dishes. 

Mini lunchbox macaroni cheese Ingredients: 250 grams elbow macaroni 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup chopped bacon (optional: for non-vegetarians) 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 tsp dried oregano 1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin (other leftover vegetables can be used) 1 tsp olive oil 1 cup thick bechamel (white) sauce (see below) 3 eggs (whisked) 1/2 cup grated cheddar / tasty cheese 1/2 cup panko crumbs (optional) Beschamel sauce 1 cup milk 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp all purpose flour Method: Make a bechamel sauce In a small pot, melt butter then whisk in flour to make a roux (paste).  Whisk and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add milk and continue to whisk until the sauce has thickened. Make mini lunchbox macaroni cheese Par boil your pasta until 80% cooked.  I do this in my microwave pasta container.  Pour boiling water over pasta and microwave on high uncovered for 9 minutes. Stir half way through.  Rinse and drain pasta to help it cool faster. Stir parmesan chee...

Spaghetti puttanesca  Ingredients: Method:

  You'll need: 1 hour, tomatoes, red capsicum, onion, mixed vegetables (eg carrots, mushrooms, celery, eggplant, zucchini), olive oil, dried italian herbs. 1. Preheat oven to 180c / 325f. 2. Chop a large amount of mixed vegetables.  I used tomatoes, celery, carrot, capsicum, onion, garlic and three sad looking mushrooms.  Eggplant and zucchini are delicious additions and will give your sauce a silky texture. 3. Douse vegetables in olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. 4.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp each of dried oregano and basil. 5. Roast the vegetables 40 - 45 minutes or until the edges are singed and golden. 6. Carefully transfer your roasted vegetables to a blender.  I used my Nutribullet  (which is still going strong after five years) but a  stick blender  will also work well. 7. If you find that your sauce is too thick, add some (or a combination of) olive oil, stock or lemon juice. 8. Serve over hot pasta and top with your choice of cheese,...

Ingredients: 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp garlic 2 tablespoon corn flour 1 egg 1 tbsp xiaoshing wine 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1 cup wombok (shredded) 300g pork 30 wrappers 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp corn flour Make the gyoza (Japanese pan steamed dumplings ) 1.  Mix 350g of pork mince with 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger and garlic, 2 teaspoons of soya sauce, a sprinkle of sugar, a dash of chinese rice wine and sesame oil, a tablespoon of corn flour. 2.  To save time I purchased pre-made gyoza wrappers from the supermarket.  Fill each dumpling with a teaspoon of mixture.  Be sure not to overstuff your dumplings and to carefully seal the edges. 3. Arrange in a fry pan with a little oil in the bottom. 4. Place gyoza on medium high heat.  When the pan is hot, pour in a 1/4 cup of water mixed with a tablespoon of cornflour.  I mix with my fingers to ensure that there aren't any lumps.  This mixture will both steam the dumplings and create an extra c...