Corned Beef with Mustard and Parsley Sauce

After having success with soup I was ready to really put the TM5 through its paces. One of my favourite comfort foods would have to be corned beef and mashed potato so what better meal to test out the Varoma.

I adapted this from a delicious recipe by Ros Hanson I found on the Thermofun blog. It's simple, yet so delicious.

Mustard and Parsley Sauce

10 g flat leaf Italian parsley (handful)
50 g butter, cubed
25 g plain flour
420 g full cream milk
2 tablespoon wholegrain mustard, I prefer Maille
salt and pepper, to taste

Corned Beef

1.2 kg corned beef
1.5 litres boiling water
5 cloves, whole
3 dried bay leaves
90 g apple cider vinegar
pepper, to taste

Vegetables

potatoes/sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
carrots, peeled and chopped
corn on the cob
broccoli

Mustard and Parsley Sauce

Place parsley into TM bowl and chop 5 sec / speed 7. Remove from bowl and set aside. No need to wash bowl.

Put butter and flour into TM bowl and chop 4 sec / speed 5.
Cook 5 mins / Varoma / speed 2.

Add milk, mustard, salt and pepper (to taste) to TM bowl and cook for 8 mins / 100C / speed 3.

Pour into a microwave-safe jug and cover with glad wrap making sure the glad wrap is touching the surface of the sauce. This will stop a skin forming as the sauce cools. Set jug aside.

Corned Beef

Spray the Varoma dish with a little oil to stop the corned beef sticking.
Remove the corned beef from the packaging and rinse well under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place it into the Varoma dish.
Add the boiling water, cloves, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar and pepper to the TM bowl, secure the lid and place the Varoma on top.
Cook for 2hrs (select 2 x 60min) / Varoma / speed 2.

Vegetables

After 2 hours add your vegetables to the Varoma around the corned beef and in the basket if you are cooking for a crowd.
Check the water level in the TM bowl and refill with boiling water to the 1 litre mark. if required.
Place the basket in the bowl and the Varoma back on top and cook for a further 30 mins / Varoma / speed 2.
Add the corn and broccoli with 15 mins to go.
Check the vegetables, if they are still firm cook for a further 5-10 minutes, taking care not to overcook the broccoli.

Reheat Parsley Sauce and serve with corned beef and vegetables. I like mashed potatoes with corned beef but you could also serve them steamed as is.

Corned Beef with Mustard & Parsley Sauce recipe on Recipe Community website

Curried Sausages

H has been travelling quite a bit for work and is in need of some comfort food so I decided to make curried snags for dinner tonight. I smashed together a few different recipes I found online and came up with this. Next time I think I'll add in some sultanas to give it a sweet element.

1 kg beef sausages
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tbsp oil
1 large brown onions, cut into wedges
150g celery, chopped
2 Tbsp madras curry powder
2 Tbsp plain flour
200g sweet potato, chopped
150g pumpkin, chopped
450g potato, chopped
200g carrot, chopped
3 cups beef stock
1 cup frozen pas & corn
2 tsp cornflour (optional)

water (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C
Prick sausages and place in saucepan with enough cold water to cover, add vinegar.
Bring to boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Drain, cool and remove skins from the sausages.
Chop sausages into 5cm pieces and brown in a frypan. Set aside
Heat oil in a deep oven proof saucepan and sauté onions until soft. Add celery and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add sausages and sprinkle curry powder and flour over the surface and stir to combine.
Add sweet potato, potato, pumpkin and carrot and stir to combine.
Add stock and bring to the boil while stirring.
Cover and bake for 30mins.

If you need to thicken the sauce mix some cornflour and water together and slowly add to curried sausages and stir.
Serve with mashed potato or with white rice.

Serves 6

Pasta with the lot

Why should only pizza get to have all the toppings when pasta tastes great with everything as well? Why not give your spag bol a makeover and clean out your veggie crisper with this delicious pasta dish.



1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp crushed chilli
1 kg premium beef mince
400g mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red capsicum, diced
1/2 green capsicum, diced
1/2 yellow capsicum, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 Tbsp Sacla Olive and Tomato Pasta Sauce (or pesto)
1 jar Bolognese Pasta Sauce of your choice
400g tin whole tomatoes
10 Kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup red wine
pasta of your choice, cooked
parmesan cheese, to serve

Heat large saucepan over med-high heat and add oil. Sauté onions with garlic and chilli until soft.
Add mince and cook, breaking up large pieces, until cooked through.
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all remaining ingredients except pasta and simmer, covered for 20-30 minutes.
Stir through cooked pasta and top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Serves 6

Red Chicken Curry

Last night I was craving a curry so I raided the fridge, freezer and pantry and found enough elements to whip up a delicious red chicken curry. I have been using coconut flavoured coconut milk lately to save on calories but of course you could substitute coconut milk.



Serves 2

1 Tbsp coconut oil
2-3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
25g ginger, grated
2 chicken thighs (approx 300g), thinly sliced
250g cauliflower, broken into florets
2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, halved and bruised
375ml light & creamy coconut flavoured coconut milk
1 Tbps brown sugar (or palm sugar)
1 cup hot chicken stock
1/3 red capsicum, thickly sliced
1/3 green capsicum, thickly sliced
1/3 yellow capsicum, thickly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes
2 dried kaffir lime leaves, sliced and soaked in warm water, drained
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
100g rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in warm water and drained
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
50g bean shoots, trimmed

Heat oil in wok on medium high heat. Add curry paste and ginger and cook, stirring over medium heat, for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.

Add chicken and cook, stirring over high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add cauliflower, carrots, lemongrass, evaporated milk, stock and sugar. Bring to boil. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.

Add capsicum, tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves and half of the chilli. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Add noodles, fish sauce and lime juice and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes or until heated through.

Garnish with bean shoots and the remaining chilli. Serve.

Sausage Hotpot

A good hearty one pot meal, this hotpot is delicious with any kind of sausages. Try chicken, pork, beef or Spanish chorizo.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
500g beef and cracked pepper sausages
2 brown onions, halved, sliced
1 red capsicum, cut into thick strips
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
400g can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup frozen peas

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp crushed chilli
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausages. Cook, turning often, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove sausages to a board. Thickly slice.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil, onions, garlic, chilli, paprika, oregano and capsicum to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Add rice, tomatoes, stock and sausages. Stir to combine. Bring to the boil.

Cover pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add frozen peas. Remove pan from heat. Set aside, covered, for 15 minutes (this allows rice to complete cooking). Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hotpot into serving bowls. Serve.

To reheat hotpot, spoon into serving bowls. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons chicken stock and cover with damp paper towel. Microwave on MEDIUM (50%) for 3 to 4 minutes.

Adapted from: Super Food Ideas - November 2006. Recipe by Michelle Noerianto

Chicken With Dates & Couscous

I made this last night and it was the perfect amount for the two of us but this is a very straightforward recipe so if you want to stretch it a bit further just double the ingredients or increase the chicken and couscous to suit your needs.



Serves 2

1 brown onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
4 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 4 pieces
1 knob butter
1 Tbps olive oil
8 dates, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch saffron threads in 1 Tbsp warm water
400g can chopped tomatoes
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
1 cinnamon quill

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup instant couscous
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock, boiling

1 tsp lemon pepper
20g (1/4 cup) flaked almonds
1/4 bunch coriander

Heat butter and 1 tbs oil in a deep heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Return pot to medium heat. Add onions, garlic and salt, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add cumin, cinnamon and saffron to onion mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Return chicken to casserole and add tomatoes, the first cup of stock, cinnamon quill and the dates. Bring to a simmer, then cook, partially covered with a lid, for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Place couscous and 1 tbs oil in a heatproof bowl or container. Pour over the hot stock and stir to combine, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Set aside for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Toast almonds in a small frying pan, tossing regularly, for 3 minutes or until almonds are toasted.

Fluff couscous with a fork, then divide among plates with chicken. Tear leaves from coriander, then scatter over chicken with almond mixture to serve.

Panko crusted veal schnitzel with Sweet Potato Chips

1/2 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbs milk
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
5-6 veal escalopes
1 tbs oil
25g butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweet potato, cut into chips
Olive oil spray
Tuscan seasoning

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with a baking sheet.

Place sweet potato on baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with tuscan seasoning or salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until edges are lovely and crisp.



Pay veal dry with paper towel.

Place flour onto a plate and add salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

Combine eggs and milk in a shallow bowl.

Place breadcrumbs onto a plate.



Dip veal one at a time into flour and shake off excess. Dip into egg wash then coat with breadcrumb mixture, pressing crumbs on firmly with your fingertips.

Heat oil and butter in a frying pan, add veal and cook for about 3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan.

Serve schnitzels with sweet potato chips.

Serves 2-3

Corned beef with cabbage, horseradish mash and mustard sauce

Corned beef and mash has got to be an all-time family favourite. I adapted this from numerous recipes and what I had on hand. Paired with horseradish mashed potato, mustard sauce and cabbage with bacon it was the perfect Sunday dinner.



Corned Beef1.5 kg corned silverside
1 1/2 brown onions, quartered
6 whole cloves
4 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
8 whole black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 carrot, roughly chopped

Push a clove into each onion quarter. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and top with just enough water to cover. Cook on High for 6 hours.



TIP: To keep corned beef submerged during cooking, weigh it down with a small lid or plate.

Mustard Sauce50g butter
2 Tbsp plain flour
1 cup milk
1 cup strained cooking liquid
2 tsp mustard

Heat butter in a pan over low-medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, until it bubbles. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in strained cooking liquid milk. Return to heat and stir until mixture thickens. Stir in mustard.

Horseradish Mashed Potato3 medium brushed potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
milk
butter
2 tsp horseradish
freshly cracked black pepper
strained corned beef cooking liquid or water

Strain a third of the cooking liquid into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes and mash or put through a potato ricer. Add milk and butter and mix gently with a fork. Add horseradish and freshly cracked black pepper.

Fried Cabbage with Bacon2 tsp olive oil
100g bacon, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 large cabbage, shredded
freshly cracked black pepper



Heat oil in a large deep frypan or wok and fry the bacon for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minute.

Stir in the shredded cabbage and season with freshly cracked black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Cabbage will retain it's crispness, if you prefer it softer you can cover it and let it steam until it is coked to your liking.

Remove meat from cooking liquid and slice against the grain.

Serve with steamed broccoli & cauliflower, horseradish mashed potato, cabbage with bacon and mustard sauce.

Roast duck with spicy coconut and watermelon

Duck and watermelon are a great match and the spicy coconut dressing is the perfect foil to such a good partnership. If you don’t have time to roast your own duck, buy one from a Chinese restaurant

1 roast duck, de-boned and cut into pieces (see Meat & Poultry)

1½ cups chopped watermelon

1/3 cup roasted coconut, finely grated

½ cup Vietnamese mint

½ cup coriander leaves

4 shallots, peeled and sliced finely

5cm (2in) lemongrass, white part only, sliced

1 telegraph cucumber, peeled and chopped coarsely

2 large green chillies, seeded and sliced finely, lengthwise

Dressing

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon red curry paste

100ml (3½fl oz) coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons caster sugar

2 tablespoons black vinegar

1 teaspoon five spice powder

Make the dressing first by heating the oil in a small saucepan. Add the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to ensure the paste doesn’t burn or stick.

Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl, then add remaining dressing ingredients. Mix well and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large serving dish, combine the duck and the remaining salad ingredients. Pour the dressing over the duck salad and garnish with extra Vietnamese mint or coriander.

Serves 4

Char Kway Teow

500g fresh flat rice noodle sheets
50ml oil
2 tablespoons minced Chinese radish
3 red chillies
2 cloves of minced garlic
200g green prawns (peeled and de-veined)
1 Lup Chong (Chinese sausage), sliced
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons thick dark soy
1-2 tablespoons light soy
generous handful of bean shoots
30gm garlic chives, cut into 2.5 cm lengths
salt and pepper to taste

Pound the sliced chillies to a paste. Cut rice noodle sheets into 1cm length strips, separate gently. If there's too much oil on the noodles pour hot water over them, as oil is used to stop the fresh noodles sticking in the refrigeration process. Drain immediately in a colander and loosen with chopsticks to prevent sticking.

Heat oil in a hot wok. Add the minced radish, chilli paste and garlic. Stir fry for 10 seconds. Add prawns and stir. Add the noodles and toss. Add Lup Chong. Push noodles to one side and pour egg into the centre - bring the noodles back and stir fry with the egg. Add the sauces, gently coating the noodles, then add garlic chives and bean shoots. Stir fry until cooked. Serve immediately.

Poached Chicken

6 litres cold water
3 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and sliced
10 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup sliced ginger
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 medium-sized red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
6 bay leaves
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, cut in half crossways
1 x 1.5 kg (3 lb) organic free-range chicken

Place all ingredients except chicken in a 10-litre stockpot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Meanwhile, rinse chicken under cold water. Trim away excess fat from inside and outside cavity, but keep neck, parson's nose and winglets intact.

Lower chicken, breast-side down, into simmering stock, ensuring it is fully submerged. Very gently poach chicken for exactly 14 minutes, then immediately remove pot from stove and allow chicken to steep in the stock for 3 hours at room temperature to complete the cooking process.

Using tongs, gently remove chicken from stock, being careful not to tear the breast skin. Place chicken on a tray to drain, and allow to cool.

Pesto Pasta Salad

This quick and easy salad is a great accompaniment to BBQ meat. I made this tonight to go with my Beef Rissoles but there is plenty left over for lunch tomorrow. Adjust the amount of vegetables and pesto to suit your taste and what you have in the fridge.



Preparation Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 10 minutes

150g green beans, topped, cut into 5cm lengths
150g snow peas, sliced diagonally
100g broccoli, separated into small florets
375g dried small penne pasta
250g (1 punnet) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 zucchini, thinly sliced crossways
100g red capsicum, thickly diced
3-4 Tbs basil pesto

Cook beans, snow peas and broccoli in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes or until tender crisp. Use slotted spoon to remove from pan and refresh under cold running water. Bring water back to the boil. Cook pasta in boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Drain well. Place in a large serving bowl.

Stir pesto through pasta. Add the beans, snow peas, broccoli, tomatoes and zucchini to the pasta and toss gently until well combined.

Serves 4

Coq Au Vin

A delicious Coq Au Vin that is quick and easy to prepare and is the perfect comfort food served with some creamy mashed potato and crisp green beans or the vegetables of your choice. I usually make this with chicken pieces as they are often on special more often than marylands.

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

PREP TIME:15 minutes

4 chicken marylands, cut in half or a mix of chicken pieces
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp plain flour
1 cup mushrooms, cut in half
1 cup reduced salt chicken stock
500 ml dry red wine
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
Mashed potato and steamed green beans to serve

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down and brown well, for about 10 minutes turning once. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Return pan to medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, stock, wine, chicken and herbs and reduce heat to low simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and liquid is thick and saucy. Discard bay leaf and thyme.

To serve, place 1 leg and 1 thigh on each plate with a mound of mashed potato and spoon over sauce and vegetables.

Slow cooked honey glazed goat

This is a quick and easy recipe that you can start and then forget until the aromas take over your kitchen! While in Melbourne I always had a plentiful supply of goat from my mother and step-father's farm. It is now becoming easier to source from good butchers.

1 goat leg roast (approx 1kg)

Salt and pepper, to taste

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup orange juice

Combine brown sugar, honey and orange juice; mix well.

Place roast in slow cooker and set to High.
Pour glaze over goat and season with salt and pepper. 

Cook for 4 hours basting occasionally.
Remove leg and reserve glaze.

Carve and serve with reserved glaze.

Beef Rissoles

I had some mince in the freezer and a fiancée who felt like rissoles. The only problem was that I'd only ever made sausage meat rissoles and wasn't sure what to mix in with the mince other than onion, egg and breadcrumbs. So I jumped on Taste and decided on this recipe - Burger With The Works

I now have fresh parsley in my garden so I headed out to snip a few sprigs and whipped up enough rissoles to do us for dinner with enough left over for H's lunch tomorrow and to stock up the freezer for another time.

Goat Shank Tagine

Figments: FROM THE MENU: Goat Shank Tagine: "Goat Tagine with Fennel and Olives"

I tried this on Saturday night with two Goat leg roasts and it was delicious.. The meat falls off the bone and it is so simple to prepare and walk away.

Warm Salmon Potato Salad

Try this easy summer dish with pan-fried salmon, warm potatoes, dill and watercress salad. The garlic–lemon dressing adds instant flavour, while the fennel and tomato give a wonderful raw crunch. If cooking for more than two, fire up the barbecue and grill the salmon for that great barbie flavour.

For The Salad

400g kipfler potatoes, washed, skin on
2 x 180g salmon fillet
½ bulb fennel, sliced thinly
1 lemon, zested
½ punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 red onion, sliced
½ bunch watercress, picked and washed
12 sprigs dill, picked

For The Dressing2 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp hot water
½ clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper

Bring potatoes to the boil from cold water. Cook gently till just done, drain and set aside. Brush the salmon skin with olive oil and place, skin down, into a warm nonstick frypan. Cook salmon for about 5 minutes till skin crisps. Turn over and cook another 3–4 minutes. Remove from pan. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

In a bowl toss together fennel, lemon zest, cherry tomatoes, red onion, watercress and picked dill. Slice warm potatoes and toss into the salad with the dressing. Serve on large plates and place salmon fillet on top, or see this week’s tip for a flaked version.

You can also serve this dish by flaking the salmon and tossing it through the salad. Once salmon is cooked, discard the skin, flake into large pieces and lightly toss with salad and dressing.

Preparation time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Hamburgers

SERVES: 6

500g very lean beef mince
½ small onion finely diced
1 egg white
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
pepper to taste
cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl place mince, onion, egg white, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, pepper to taste.

Mix together using your hands until well combined. Roll into 18 small balls. Place meatballs on a baking tray that has been coated with cooking spray.Bake 30-40 minutes or until cooked, turning once. Serve hot or cold with a suitable dipping sauce.

Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan

I grabbed some panko crumbs the other day and have been searching for some good recipes to test out. I'm not sure how H will feel about a meatless meal so I might have to save this for his next work trip..

3/4 cup panko Japanese bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 egg whites
1 large eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 16 slices)

Sauce and Pasta
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 pound angel hair pasta, cooked following package directions

Eggplant: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large rack on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a pie plate, mix together panko, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. In a second pie plate, lightly whisk egg whites.
Dip each slice of eggplant into egg whites and then into panko mixture, coating both sides. Place eggplant on prepared baking rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, until browned and tender.
Sauce: While eggplant is baking, make sauce. Coat a medium-size nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook garlic until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Tear basil into bite-size pieces and stir in.
Overlap eggplant slices slightly on the baking sheet, making four piles. Spoon sauce evenly over each portion (reserve a quarter of it for serving) and evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serve eggplant with cooked pasta and reserved sauce.

Per Serving: 416 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat.); 21 g protein; 72 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 856 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol

Eggplant, pumpkin & zucchini curry

Preparation Time
10 - 15 minutes

Cooking Time
25 minutes

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium brown onion, cut into wedges
3 tsp Madras Indian curry paste (medium hot)
450g (about 4 large) baby eggplant, halved, cut into thick chunks
450g medium zucchini, halved, cut into thick chunks
500g Jap pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, cut into chunks
1 x 140ml can coconut milk {Ayam brand)
250mls (1 cup) vegetable stock
3 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
300g (1 1/2 cups) Basmati rice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly golden. Add the curry paste and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the eggplant, zucchini and pumpkin and toss until well coated in the paste. Add the coconut milk and stock, stir to combine and bring to the boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and the vegetables are just cooked. Stir in the brown sugar and coriander and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in large saucepan of salted boiling water, according to packet directions, until just tender. Drain.

Serve the vegetable curry with the rice

Notes
Leftovers: use curry paste in vegetable or meat curries. Use stock in soups or casseroles. Use rice to make pilaf. Use coriander in pesto.

For the kids: mild vegie curry - reduce the curry paste to 1 tsp.