Welcome friends to Natasha in Oz! I can't believe that it's been so long since my last post
and my last Say G'Day Saturday Linky Party!
I really had such a terrible time with that awful virus but I'm finally feeling well again and am ready to get back to my poor neglected blog! Thanks so much to my very sweet bloggy friends for your get-well wishes while I was sick. I really appreciate your kindness!
This week I have been back in the kitchen and have been cooking non-stop! It's been so good to cook and bake again. Here's some yummy cupcakes I baked for a bake sale at Maddy's school. They were all sold within minutes!
For this week's Say G'day Party I am sharing a recipe that our family recently enjoyed. It is for an Asian style bolognese sauce that is made with hoisin and soy sauces instead of tomatoes and Five Spice Powder instead oregano!
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If your family is like mine pasta is a staple ingredient in your pantry because it is so versatile, inexpensive and delicious! Big Al would eat spaghetti every single night if he could-he loves it! The rest of us on the other hand need a bit more variety! Most of the time I cook a tomato sauce made with ground veal and pork for my Italian style spaghetti but this Eastern style sauce is made with minced chicken and lots of Asian flavours. It was an instant hit with all members of the family and has become a favourite supper for Big Al! This East-meets-West Spaghetti with Ground Chicken is quick and full of interesting flavours. I'm sure you'll love it....Itmay even become a regular dish for your #SundaySupper!
Asian Style Spaghetti
Serves 4
Ingredients 3 Tbsp peanut oil (One of my Twitter friends and an old Uni pal suggests using rice bran oil instead of peanut oil which will cater to families with nut allergy sufferers. It has a high smoke point and no flavour. Thanks for tip Yale!)
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic 1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger 1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon each of Chinese Five Spice, Mixed Spices and Onion Powder
1/2 cup hoisin, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp kecap manis, 2 tbsp Soy Sauce and 2 teaspoons Maggi Seasoning.
1 lb ground free range chicken
1/2 cup rice wine (or sherry) 1 cup water I box of your favourite spaghetti Vegetables such as sliced fresh mushrooms, sliced fresh snow peas, green beans, shredded carrots...anything you like!
In a large nonstick skillet, heat peanut oil (or any oil that doesn't have an overpowering flavour) over medium heat. Add ground chicken and fry until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, onion and spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add sauces and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add rice wine and water and bring to a simmer. Cook until consistency is fairly thick, similar to bolognaise sauce, 30-40 minutes. Sometimes it takes longer for the sauce to thicken up, so I turn up the heat to medium high to speed up the process. Just remember to stir it more frequently. While sauce is simmering cook the pasta according to package directions then drain in a colander.
About 5 minutes before serving add vegetables so that they remain crisp and don't overcook.
When ready to eat, place pasta and chicken in serving bowls and sprinkle with peanuts instead of parmesan cheese to add a final Eastern flourish!
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
So, what have you been making, crafting, baking or creating while I've been out of the Blogosphere!? Perhaps you have blogged about your favourite #SundaySupper, holiday destination or a room in your home? If so I would love it if you could link up your post to this week's Say G'Day Party!
is a weekly link up where you can share any posts that you are proud of!
You can share your favourite post of the week,
a post about your favourite Instagram pictures,
Pinterest round up posts,
recipes, tutorials, craft or decorating ideas!
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Thanks for joining in! Don't forget to come back later so you can say G'day to bloggers from around the world!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my little corner of the world Down Under! Please be sure to come back on Sunday to hear my favourite song for the week at this week's
#SundaySong Linky Party!
Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!
Natasha In Oz