Cheese Burgers is one of those great snacks that everyone loves. Though I am not too sure that we like what it does to our waist line!!

I make cheese burgers for my family about three times a month in summer and about once a month the rest of the year.

They go really well with some chips or onion rings and take very little time to prepare. In fact I don’t think it has ever taken me more than an hour and that includes adding the salad to the buns.

I prefer to have Cheese Burgers with Pork Mince just because it is a drier meat and as a result it is easier for making the burgers and they never fall apart and taste so amazing when they are cooked.

So let’s get cooking and here is my Pork Cheese Burger Recipe.

Ingredients:

500g Pork Mince

4 Burger Buns

Salad (to go in your burger if required)

½ Egg

1 Small Onion

Handful Breadcrumbs

Handful Chopped Basil

Pinch Mixed Herbs

Teaspoon Tomato Paste

Pinch Chives

4 Slices Cheddar

Method

First of all you need to mix your meat in a mixing bowl until it is nice and soft and easy to mix up. Then you need to dice your onion and add it to your mixture along with a handful of breadcrumbs.

You then add your fresh basil, mixed herbs and chives. Then add the tomato paste. Along with salt and pepper, once you have done this mixed together in your hands and form the mixture into 4 large burgers.

Then place the burgers on a baking tray and grill for 12 minutes for until cooked through.

Once they are done cook for a further minute under the grill with a slice of cheddar on top.

When you are done add them to the burger buns and add some salad if you wish. I love my burgers with a little lettuce, a slice of tomato, some red onions and a small spoonful of mayonnaise.

But we all have a different opinion of what works for us and how we like our garnish.

Enjoy your cheeseburgers I know I will be tonight!!

Cauliflower Cheese has to be one of the most favourite traditional meals of all time. I love Cauliflower Cheese and I remember at 12 years old when I refused to learn to cook in the kitchen with my mum it was the one dish I could make.

In my teenage years I was a vegetarian so I would eat a lot of Cauliflower Cheese and other beautiful dishes with a cheese sauce involved somewhere!!!

Nowadays though I tend to eat my cauliflower cheese as a side dish to go with a main meal and then the leftovers will then be frozen to use at a later date.

Here is my Cauliflower Cheese recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Cauliflower

150g Margarine

150g Mature Cheddar Cheese

½ Pint Semi Skimmed Milk

150g Plain Flour

Pinch Nutmeg

Pinch Mustard

Salt/Pepper (If Desired)

Method

First of all you need to chop your cauliflower into florets so that they are of an equal size so that none become mushy or undercooked and then add some salt and pepper and cook them until they are cooked. I prefer to use a steamer as it keeps their flavour and they taste much better.

While your Cauliflower is cooking you need to work on your cheese sauce. Cook the fat in the pan and once it is runny add the flour and make sure you properly cook your flour in the margarine otherwise it will taste awful.

Then once you have a beautiful rue you need to add your milk until you have a lovely white sauce. At this point you need to add your pinch of nutmeg and mustard. My husband always gives me a nasty look when he sees me with the nutmeg but it gives it a wonderful flavour.

Once you have done this you need to add your cheese. This is down to preference some people prefer to have more cheese than others.

Once you have added the cheese and it has all melted lovely. You need to check on your cauliflower and once it is done, mix the two together and place in a casserole style dish. I also like to slice some tomatoes on top and scatter some breadcrumbs but it is optional if you want to do this or not.

If you want to make a bigger or smaller cheese sauce just remember you always have the same amount of flour, cheese and fat so just alter it to your needs.

After 5 minutes under the grill your Cauliflower Cheese is ready to serve. Enjoy!

If there is one meat that is cheap yet incredibly tasty the award has to go to minced beef and I am a huge fan. I must buy at least one pack a week. Whether it is to make spaghetti and meatballs or lasagne you can do pretty much anything with it. Imagine if you sent two people into seperate kitchens with a pack of mince you can imagine that totally different items would end up being cooked.

I will often go into the kitchen and make meatballs where as Dominic is more likely to opt for cottage pie which is an old English favourite of his.

So to get you in mood for cooking mince here are three favourites of mine:

Recipe 1 – Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, Chopped
2 Medium Carrots, Chopped
2-3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) Can Beef Broth
1 1/2 lbs Minced Beef
1 (8 oz) Can Tomato Sauce
1 tspSalt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes
1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage
2 Cups Hot Mashed Potatoes

Method:

1. In a saucepan, combine onion, carrots, garlic and broth. Bring to the boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

2. Drain, reserving liquid to make gravy, if desired. In a skillet, cook the beef until browned; drain. Add tomato sauce and seasonings; bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add reserved vegetables and mix well. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish.

4. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

5. If desired, make gravy with reserved vegetable liquid; serve with the pie.

Recipe 2 – Meatballs

Ingredients:

500g Of Mince Beef
1 Onion Grated

1/3 Cup Uncooked Rice

1/3 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Egg

1 440g Tomato Soup

1 Cup Of Water

1 tbsp Sugar

Salt And Pepper

Method:

1. Combine all meatball ingredients, shape into meatballs then place the balls in the casserole dish.

2. Combine the tomato soup, water, sugar salt and pepper this is for the sauce to cover the meatballs put in the oven for 1 hour @180c.

3. Cook the rice as stated on the packet.

Recipe 3 – Chill With Roasted Peppers

Ingredients:

2 fat red chillies

2 medium red peppers

Jar of tomato sauce

1 Pack of minced beef

1 pinch of cumin

1 pinch of paprika

2 cans of kidney beans

Method:

1. Preheat the grill to high and halve 2 fat red chillies and 2 red peppers, scraping out the seeds as you go. Place them on a baking tray skin side up and grill until they look blackened and blistered. As they cook, start a pan and cook your minced beef and mix it with some tomato sauce.

2. Peel off the skin of the peppers and cut it into long strips and roughly chop the chillies. In a frying pan add the cumin and mince along with the pepper and chilli. Also add two tins of kidney beans and the paprika. Once cooked through it is ready to serve.

3. I suggest that you serve it with sour cream and tortillas for the ultimate meal.

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To your food heaven

I always make a great effort with my Saturday night meals, in fact weekend meals in general are pretty special. During the week we are all busy doing our own thing and will eat our main meal at lunch time. Though at a weekend we will cook dinner together and then spend a couple of hours sat down at the table enjoying ourselves as we enjoy our food and drink.

If for example your family is on a budget you can have the same level of family enjoyment as you can dining in a restaurant. We tend to go out for dinner at lunchtime because it is the culture in Portugal and as the weather is so nice for the majority of the year it is nice to sit out in the sunshine as we eat.

Last weekend though, we decided to have a restaurant favourite for saturday night dinner – Sweet and sour chicken and it was fantastic maybe even better than what is served in the restaurants.

Here is the recipe in case you fancy treating yourself this weekend:

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts chopped into medium pieces

1/4 Fresh pineapple diced

pinch of sugar

Jar of sweet and sour sauce

1/2 Fresh red pepper diced

2 Medium onions diced

Black pepper/salt to season

Method:

All you have to do is place the ingredients either into your slow cooker or a casserole dish. Mix the ingredients together and then cook until cooked through. For a slow cooker it will take four hours and for the oven it will be done in half of that time.

Personally I prefer it in the slow cooker as when the pineapple and chicken cooks slowly it tastes so much better.

I suggest that you serve it up with homemade chips or rice. You can also include prawn crackers for the ultimate night in or start with crispy duck and pancakes for starters.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating cooking tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

If there is one type of food that my husband goes wild for it is a sunday roast. He absolutely adores his meat and as a Brit nothing comes more natural than enjoying a roast dinner around the table with the family.

Though, the biggest arguement is often what kind of meat to enjoy. Personally I love chicken and beef the most but everyone is different. If you are inviting friends and family around to enjoy your roast lunch then I suggest going with Chicken because everybody loves it and it is incredibly cheap.

I have put it together with my favourite extras so that you can have the dream sunday lunch, just like mummy makes!!!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized chicken

Handful of parsley

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

300ml chicken stock (for the gravy)

Medium bag of potatoes

4 tsp margarine

A medium selection of seasonal vegetables

1 chicken oxo cube

Yorkshire Pudding each

Stuffing Mix

Method:

First of all it is important to prepare your chicken and get it cooking and then you can concentrate your time on the other cooking tasks. So place your chicken on a clean chopping board and sprinkle the olive oil and parsley over the top so that it will have a lovely flavoured skin once cooked. You can also add some salt and pepper for extra flavour if desired.

Once you have done this peel and chop your potatoes and put a third of them aside. With the others put them into the shape of roast potatoes and add them to your roast tray along the sides of your chicken. Now place four teaspoons of margarine among the potatoes, and sprinkle some pepper and parsley over it.

Then place it in the oven as per your chicken instructions or until golden brown and cooked through. All chickens are different sizes so it is important that you follow the instructions thoroughly.

Once it is in the oven you can prepare the rest of your roast lunch…..

Chop your potatoes up into large cubes, and put them to boil in a pan of hot water, once they have boiled you can make them into mash and place in a ceramic dish ready for later.

While they are cooking I recommend that you chop and cook your vegetables, whatever is in season is best and I always try and go for root vegetables (leek, suede, parsnips) as they offer much more flavour and go very well with your sunday roast.

If you are a cheese sauce freak like me, I would recommend adding a cheese sauce to your vegetables for the total luxurious roast dinner.

And when they are cooked add them to another ceramic dish with some sprinked herbs on top (dried is fine).

Once this is done you can go about adding an extras to your sunday roast – I personally love to have some sage and onion stuffing, made into balls and after following the instructions on the packet, place them next to your roast potatoes 30 minutes before your roast is complete.

At this point you can add your mash and vegetables to the oven to warm it up prior to the final stages of cooking.

If you are a fan of Yorkshire Puddings you can also add these to your oven after it has been turned off and it will cook from the heat in the oven as you are dishing up the plates.

Last but not least, has to be the beautiful gravy. For the ultimate flavour test I recommend that you use the juices from your chicken, and mix it with a chicken oxo cube and it will make an amazing gravy. Alternatively for the busy mum nothing beats the gravy granules. I will simply leave the choice to you!!!

Well there you have it, that is my take on the perfect sunday lunch and a rather low priced version at that. I hope you thoroughly enjoy it.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating cooking tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

Thanks for reading

Samantha

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Happy New Year to all my blog readers. I thought I would start this year with a Turkey Stir Fry as you attempt to get rid of the rest of your Christmas leftovers. We personally had a turkey stir fry on boxing day and it was wonderful. Plus it felt even better knowing how little it actually cost!!!!

Many don’t realise the asset of actually freezing some of their turkey once it is cool and then it will last even longer. So you could be having your christmas turkey on valentines day!!!

For the dessert I have opted for a victoria sandwich cake because it is really cheap to make, quick and you can get many days use from it.

Turkey Stir Fry:

Ingredients:

600g Left Over Turkey Pieces
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Grated Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Carrot, Thinly Sliced
½ Green Capsicum, Thinly Sliced
2 Small Sticks Celery, Thinly Sliced
2 Shallots, Chopped
200g Snow Peas
½ Cup Oyster/Soy Sauce
100g Button Mushrooms, Sliced

Method:

1. Heat half oil in a frying pan or wok, stir fry turkey pieces, garlic & ginger 3 minutes. Remove. Heat remaining oil.

2. Stir fry vegetables 2 minutes. Return turkey pieces etc. Stir in Oyster/Soy Sauce.

3. Heat through 2-3 minutes.

4. You could also add some egg noodles if you wanted, cook as per the packet.

Victoria Sandwich Cake:

Ingredients:

8oz of Butter

8oz of Sugar

4 Large Eggs

8oz Self Raising Flour

Jam for Filling

Icing Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Cream

Method:

1. Firstly you need to preheat the oven to 180c and then using an electric mixer you want to cream together the butter and sugar until light but fluffy. Then in another bowl break the eggs and mix lightly before adding them gradually a bit at a time to the other bowl until thoroughly mixed together.

2. Now add the flour to the mixture via a sieve stirring gently with a metal spoon until it is all mixed in and no flour is visible. Divide the mixture between the two baking tins. Pat it a couple of times so that it is flat and then place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

3. When it has cooled for a few minutes using a knife around the edges remove them from their baking tins and place on a cooling tray. Now place a layer of jam on the base of one of the cakes and then whip the cream and place it on the other. Once you have done this and made sure that it is smooth sandwich them together.

4. Finally sieve the icing sugar over the top of the Victoria sponge and enjoy your treat.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

Dominic

As we enter December it is the time of year that we start enjoying the wonderful winter food. First on our agenda is always a lovely hearty soup. So for the first course this month I have gone with broccoli soup to warm you up during this cold time of year.

For the main course I have settled with Shepherds Pie that is beautiful british dish that is well loved throughout the world. You could either have it with beef for cottage pie or lamb to make a traditional shepherds pie.

The choice is entirely yours.

Broccoli Soup:

Ingredients:

8 Strips Bacon
1/4 Cup Flour
4 Cup Milk
20 oz Mixed vegetables
10 oz Broccoli, Chopped
Fine Onion (Chopped)
Garlic (Optional)

Method:

1. Boil mixed vegetables and broccoli (chopped fine). Set aside to drain. Fry bacon until crispy. Set aside bacon.

2. Pour enough bacon grease in soup pan to cover bottom of pan. Simmer onions until clear. Mix 1/4 cup flour. Then add 4 cups milk. Stir well.

3. Add vegetables and bacon. Simmer until soup is thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. This soup could be saved for the next day when the flavours will be better.

Shepherds Pie:

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, Chopped
2 Medium Carrots, Chopped
2-3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) Can Beef Broth
1 1/2 lbs Ground Lamb/beef
1 (8 oz) Can Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes
1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage
2 Cups Hot Mashed Potatoes

Method:

1. In a saucepan, combine onion, carrots, garlic and broth. Bring to the boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

2. Drain, reserving liquid to make gravy, if desired. In a skillet, cook the lamb until browned; drain. Add tomato sauce and seasonings; bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add reserved vegetables and mix well. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish.

4. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

5. If desired, make gravy with reserved vegetable liquid; serve with the pie.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

Dominic

Even though we are in our third month now and winter is approaching it is still nice to have a stir fry at this time of year. I personally prefer Pork or Chicken because you can alter the recipe to suit and make it with all your favourite flavours. Compared to beef which you are often restricted on seasoning.

You can make your pork stir fry into a much lower calorie meal just by replacing any oil with one calorie spray.

For the dessert I have opted for one of my wifes favourite, apple crumble. It is really nice to have at this time of year and if you are feeling really naughty you can have it with cream.

Pork Stir Fry:

Ingredients:

600g Pork Strips

1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Grated Ginger

2 Cloves Garlic
1 Carrot, Thinly Sliced

½ Green Capsicum, Thinly Sliced
2 Small Sticks Celery, Thinly Sliced

2 Shallots, Chopped
200g Snow Peas

½ Cup Soy/Oyster Sauce
100g Button Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Pack Easy Cook Noodles

Method:

1. Cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet then drain

2. Heat half oil in frying pan or wok, stir fry pork strips, garlic & ginger for 3 minutes. Remove. Heat remaining oil.

3. Stir fry vegetables 2 minutes. Return pork strips etc.

4. Stir in Soy Sauce. Then add the noodles.

5. Heat through 2-3 minutes.

Apple Crumble Recipe:

Ingredients:

4-6 Cooking Apples
½ Cup Sugar
1 Cup Plain Flour
3 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Coconut
3 tbsp Butter
Salt

Method:

1. Peel & core apples and cut into eighths. Place in a saucepan with sugar and water and simmer gently until soft. Allow to cool then pour into pie dish, keeping back excess juices.

2. Place flour in a bowl and rub butter in with fingers. Add sugar, coconut and salt and mix well together. Sprinkle lightly on top of the apples. Bake in a moderate oven until apple bubbles through the crumble.

3. Place under griller for a few mins & brown crumble on top (if desired). Serve hot or cold with custard, cream or ice-cream or caramel sauce.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

Dominic

This month is very much focusing on the wonderful world of comfort food and how at this time of year something nice and filling for a low price can be a perfect asset to the table. My wife makes a cheese sauce, maybe once every 10 days and it is always a firm favourite on our dinner table. Whether we have it with cauliflower or a nice selection of root vegetables it provides you with lots of goodness and certainly provides you with your five a day.

For the dessert this month I have opted for a personal favourite of mine – Flapjacks. The can even be served with custard for your trip back to grandma time.

Cauliflower Cheese:

Ingredients:

1 large Cauliflower
300ml (½ pt) Milk
110g (4oz) Cheddar Cheese
3 tbsp Plain Flour
50g (2oz) Butter
25g (1oz) Fresh Breadcrumbs
½ tsp Mustard
Nutmeg
Salt & Black Pepper

Method:

1. Trim the cauliflower boil in salted water for 10-15 minutes or until just tender. Drain and place in a flameproof dish. With the milk, flour and butter make a roux in saucepan. (look up my cheese sauce recipe)

2. Heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens, boils and is smooth. Allow to simmer for a further 2 minutes. Add three-quarters of the grated cheese, mustard, a pinch of nutmeg and seasoning.

3. Cook for further minute stirring well. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Mix the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs together, sprinkle over the top. Place under a hot grill until golden brown.

4. Serve immediately.

Flapjacks:

Ingredients:

9oz of Butter

4 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup

5oz of Caster Sugar

9oz of Porridge Oats

Method:

1. Firstly you need to get out a tray to make your flapjacks with that is roughly one inch high. Then preheat the oven to 180c and line your flapjack try with some grease proof paper.

2. Now melt the butter with the golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Then put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and add the syrup mixture to it then mix it really well.

3. Then spoon the mixture carefully into the tray patting it down with a wooden spoon or your hand so that it is flat and level all over. Bake it in the centre of the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until nicely brown. Leave it to cool in the tin before chopping it up into nice square pieces.

4. You can also use melted chocolate dipped in to one side to give it a new feel or keep them plain it is up to you.

5. I like these with some custard so if you have some instant custard make some the way it says on the packet and serve.

I recommend that you serve it with some lovely warm custard for the ultimate pudding after your cauliflower cheese. We all love custard and it can take you back to the old fashioned beautiful meals we used to have in the old days. Plus when you make flapjacks there is also some left over that can be used over the coming days for an extra treat.

Hope you give these a try and let me know what you think about my ideas by leaving a comment.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

Dominic

As a family we can not resist regular trips to McDonalds especially for one of the burgers as they taste so nice when you want your quick fix of naughty food. Not to mention the fact that the children absolutely love it and my son gets very excited for a nice yummy burger.

When we lived in England before relocating to the Algarve in Portugal we used to have a McDonalds once a month. But since moving to Portugal there isn’t a McDonalds as close by and we have adapted a much more healthier attitude so we have decided to challenge ourselves to some lovely homemade burgers that we can enjoy as a family.

Homemade Cheese Burgers

Plus I decided to experiment with cost as we are all looking for a fantastic Saturday night meal on a budget. So lets crack on and let me guide you through the ultimate night in with your family.

Ingredients

1 Pack of Minced Beef

1/2 Slice of breadcrumbs

1 Medium Onion

Handful of Fresh Basil

1 Teaspoon of Pepper

2 Teaspoons of Plain Flour

1 Small Egg

Other Herbs to Taste

Method:

1. First of all in a medium mixing bowl, add the mince beef and cut it into pieces so that it is easy to mix together. Then on your chopping board chop up your onion and add it to the bowl. Now also chop up your fresh basil and add this along with your mixed herbs and breadcrumbs.

2. In a small bowl add your egg and mix it until smooth and on a space in your worktop add your plain flour so that you can use it for binding.

3. Now go back to your bowl, add any herbs that you prefer (I always use my jar of mixed herbs) and combine it into the size of burgers. Once you combine it place a coating of egg around it and roll it in the plain flour. Then stick each one on a large oven tray and once they are all completed place them in the fridge for four hours. The idea behind this is that they will then be well formed and they are less likely to break when you are cooking them later. I find that it is easiest if you make them first thing in the morning and then you know they are done and it always helps to be a little organised.

Half an hour before you want to eat

Now is the time to head back into the kitchen to make your dinner, I recommend that you do so with your children as it so important for them to learn how to cook and they have a lovely time helping you. First of all you want to get your burgers into the oven to cook. I always make mine in the oven though you can always use the grill. Put the oven on a medium heat and cook your burgers for 25-35 minutes or until they are cooked through.

Homemade Cheeseburgers With A Beautiful Homemade Sauce

In the meantime make yourself some homemade chips, you can spice them up with some Paprika on top if that is your fancy. Or like me with some melted cheese on top.

After you have prepared your chips and they are cooking you can prepare your burger buns, add some nice lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayonnaise to your buns.

You can also make yourself a side sauce from scratch that will taste just as nice as a McDonalds one. I prefer to do a Spanish Aloli which is mayonnaise with garlic and lime and tastes fantastic.

Then once your burgers are cooked stick them in the buns with a slice of cheese and serve all your food together at the table. If you are looking for a healthier version say if you are on a diet what you would do is:

- Have oven chips instead of fried ones

- Make a diet mayonnaise

I hope you enjoy your burgers and enjoy the saving you have made. It has cost me five euros to make for a family of three. For the same portions and nice food it would have cost me 30 Euros including petrol at my local McDonalds so I am extremely happy with the savings I have made.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic healthy eating cooking tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

Dominic

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