Potato and Zucchini Pancakes

I just have one thing to say about these potato and zucchini pancakes I made from my partner site for this month's Taste & Create, My Green Mouth - make a double batch. At least. Maybe a triple batch. I made a double batch, and it wasn't nearly enough for the 5 of us. Ok, it was enough, but not enough, if you know what I mean. Much in the same way that two potatoes if enough per person, unless you roast them, and then you need to provide at least four.

These are tasty, tasty goodies, and I need to make them again. Soon. I followed the recipe as directed on the above link, only doubled, so I won't write it again here. Except, instead of serving them with somewhat healthy Greek yogurt, we had ours with sour cream and salsa. Great for kids who don't like vegies, even better if you have weird kids like mine who do!

My food processor made short work of this!

So far, so good...

Epic fail - did I mention I'm bad at flipping fritters?

I got the hang of it by the second one though

Bacon, Zucchini and Lime Penne

Based on this recipe from Taste.com.au, this unusual combination came about because I didn't have any lemons in the house. Likewise with the sour cream. It rained all this afternoon, so we had to make do. Luckily I had ranch dressing still in the house.

Bacon, Zucchini and Lime Penne
500g penne (or pasta of your choice)
250g shortcut rindless bacon rashers, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
zest and juice of one lime
2 Tbsp sour cream (or Ranch dressing)
grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water. Meanwhile, fry the bacon, garlic, onion and zucchini until golden. Add the zest and lime juice, stir through, and add the sour cream. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

Mother's delicious homecooked Pluto.

My kids just got Here Come Science by They Might Be Giants. All three love watching the dvd together, and it keeps them from completely being at each other's throats. As an introduction to the song How Many Planets? Old John was telling a story about how when he was younger, they remembered the names of the planets by saying 'My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas'. But now Pluto is longer a planet, they say 'My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nothing' "and we can longer enjoy the taste of Mother's delicious homecooked Pluto." That makes my kids giggle. So when I heard that intro today while these pizzas were in the oven, I knew what I was calling them.

When I saw this recipe for Funky Lime Pizza on the Menu Plan Monday at Pass The Beans Please I just had to try it. I loved the bright fresh flavours. The eldest two children didn't like the lime or feta, and Master One refused to take more than a single bite, making me get out the emergency Heinz can of pasta. DP thought it would have been ok without the lettuce on it. (He meant the coriander). This is what I get for cooking something innovative and "fancy". Well pfft to them. I loved it, and wasn't particularly phased that I ate almost a whole pizza to myself either.

Homecooked Pluto
pizza dough (or use your own favourite recipe)
500g grated Mozzarella
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernals
1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
feta cheese, crumbled
fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 230C. Cover two baking trays with baking paper. Divide your dough in half, and roll each half out to the size of your tray. Miss Three helped me with the rolling.

Here she is "rolling" out the zucchini too!

Leave a margin about an inch wide around the dough then sprinkle the bases with about half the mozzarella. Then top with onion, then zucchini. Miss Three quite liked this too. Then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on the top. Add your corn kernals, and some crumbled feta, and little dobs of minced garlic. Mine came from a jar. Because the last four bags of garlic I've bought have ended up shrivelled empty husks right when I want to use them. I don't think we eat as much garlic as we used to. I digress. Bake for 8 minutes, then swap the bottom tray to the top shelf, and vice versa, and bake for another 8 minutes. Until the cheese is melted to your desired colour. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush the pizza rims with a little olive oil, squeeze over your lime juice, and scatter the coriander over the top.

This is a bit of a 'foodie' meal, so perhaps one to use more for Date night than Kids demanding pizza night. Unless your kids are foodies, or at least very fond of sharp flavours like lime and feta.

This was an entry for the Pizza Party Mix Up hosted by Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations. Happy 2nd Blogversary!








Don't forget to think (and cook!) pink for the Virtual Night In, raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer Research.

Chicken Schnitzel, Scalloped Potatoes, and homegrown Zucchinis with Spring Onions and Baby Peas

Just when I was starting to despair, and thinking about calling for take away, the cool change hit. I opened all the windows, and with a beautiful cool breeze blowing through the house, felt up to turning the oven on to 200°C to cook tonight's dinner.

Earlier, the temp outside had hit 37°C, so I was dubious about tonight's planned menu, but I managed to pull it all together in time... well, sort of, dinner was almost an hour late, well, about 15 minutes later than normal, but more than half an hour later than when I always plan on having dinner served.

So, I sliced a whole bunch of potatoes up thinly. Don't ask me how much, it was just whatever was left in the cupboard. About 3 large potatoes, and 5 or 6 small ones I think, from memory. I layered them in a greased pan stopping to sprinkle a finely sliced half onion over every potato layer, except the last layer. Then I whisked together a cup of milk, and half a cup of cream, and a packet of McCormick Scalloped Potato mix, poured the lot over the top, and finshed with a sprinkle of grated tasty and mozzarella cheeses. Well, it's the end of the fortnight, I have to empty the fridge!

While that baked for 40 minutes (next time I'll give it 50 or an hour, but we were starving!), I scrounged through the fridge to see what else was there. I'd originally planned to serve some frozen beans with this, but I finshed them off last week sometime, and only had a bare handful of baby peas left. But, I did find 4 spring onions, and even better, 3 small zucchinis from my mother's garden, that she'd brought up a few days ago.

My mum grew me some zucchinis!


Don't know if you can see the gorgeous pale yellow colour of the insides here

After slicing the onions and zucchinis, I fried them with a generous amount of butter, and some Season-All spice (my fall back, good for everything seasoning!), adding the peas in at the last second. Then I tipped them into a small saucepan, because it was handy, and small, and wouldn't let much of the heat escape, and fried up our schnitzels. Tipped the veg back in at the last minute to reheat any cold bits, and to add all those lovely juices to the pan. Then I dished it all up and made gravy.

I was dead tired and very hot by the time I sat down, but everyone enjoyed it, and no one has gotten sick from half cooked potatoes... yet!