Easy Chicken Pasta Bake (with hidden veggies)

You're going to love how easy it is to make this pasta bake for the family.

Not only is this bake quick and easy to prepare, it has a bonus...hidden veggies!

My 3 little (not so little these days) pickles are pretty good with eating their vegetables but I strongly believe there is always room for more. 

Growing kids need it. 

Big kids too.

A little while back, the sweet peeps from Vetta sent me some of their healthy pastas to try. The Vetta Super Veg Pasta - with hidden vegetables was the biggest hit so it has been on the grocery list every week since we first tasted it.

One serve of pasta (50g) has approximately one serve of vegetables in it. Peas and corn to be to be precise. And they are in a toddler friendly elbow shape...perfect for this recipe.

Easy Chicken Pasta Bake (with hidden veggies)

• I chopped up leftover roast chicken and vegetables from the night before but you could also use 1 chicken breast, sliced into bite sized pieces and pan fried.
• 1 pack of Vetta Super Veg Pasta
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of your favourite cooking oil (I like to use organic coconut oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon orgegano
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated tasty cheese 

1. Cook pasta to packet directions, drain and set aside.
2. In a pan (or a casserole dish that can also be used on a cook top), heat oil and cook onions and garlic to soften.
3. Add chicken and leftover veggies (or cook raw chicken until browned and cooked through)
4. Add the tomatoes, oregano and seasonings.
5. At this stage you could also add a little water or stock if you like you pasta bake a little more saucy.
6. Mix drained pasta through the sauce and place in a baking dish (or you casserole dish)
7. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbling. 

I like to serve this straight for the casserole dish in the centre of the table with crusty bread and a green salad.

*Of course, you can use any old pasta for my easy chicken bake but you won't get those extra veggies in...not secretly anyway.

Tell me I'm not the only one who likes to announce to my kids at the dinner table what veggies they just ate without knowing?

mwahahaha....

Till next time.

Marnie x

Disclosure: This product was provided for editorial consideration.   3pickles has no affiliation with any companies mentioned and has received no remuneration for posting reviews. All opinions are my own.

Spring Salad

We ate this salad today.
Loved it.
Will be making more of it.
Here's what's in it.

• Rocket
• Capsicum (red peppers)
• Fresh corn 
• Red Onion
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Good 4U+U Crunchy Combo (a mix of legumes like mung, peas, chic) I got them from Coles, next to the rocket. I have also used canned 4 bean mix and canned chic peas.
• Carrot
• Freshly steamed, green beans
• A drained can of red salmon
• Avocado
• Salt & pepper
• Salad dressing

Toss to combine & serve with Turkish bread if you like.

x Marnie

Dinner in 20 mins - I can do that

Can you get dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less? I'm not talking frozen meals or junk from the takeaway, I 'm talking home cooked...with a little help.

In this case, I'm talking pizza...one of the most requested meals around these parts. My family don't like it any old way either. They have become pizza connoisseurs and it's my fault.

As you may have seen from a recent post, Mr3P and I met up with some of the lovely people at Bakers Delight and tried their take home, DIY, fresh pizza bases. I'm impressed with how tasty they are and how they take all the hassle out of making your own bases, or buying those less than fresh ones I've seen in the supermarkets (which, yes, I have tried them too and IMO, they don't taste home made).

You don't have to be a master chef of even a pizza chef to turn out these meals in no time at all. I simply popped into my local Bakers Delight and grabbed a few fresh bases (they come in packs of 2).

Place your fresh (par cooked) Bakers Delight bases on a pizza tray or an oven tray if you don't have one.

Add some pizza sauce.

Top with a few of your favourite toppings...I like to do a quick prep and put all of my intended toppings on a plate on in some bowls. 

We like to get the kids to top their own pizza, so there is no arguing over who wants what or picking off of toppings later. A nice way also to get them involved in the dinner making process. My pickles LOVE cooking with me....it's just the washing up part that they suddenly become magicians, and disappear..................

These pizzas take around 10 minutes to bake at around 200ºC, depending on your toppings.

I like to serve the pizzas with a fresh salad and lemonade!

My favourite topping for a pizza is chorizo, anchovies, mushrooms, olives and capsicum with a tomato or ricotta sauce on the base.

I'm doing a little giveaway on my Facebook page, thanks to Bakers Delight. Just pop on over and tell me what your favourite topping for your pizza is. I have 3 kids colouring packs (to give them something to do while you assemble and bake you pizzas!) You need to use the hashtag #BDpizza and #BakersDelight in your Facebook post.Or feel free to post pics of your creations on Instagram with the same hashtags and @3picklesMarnie

Only open to Aussie residents sorry.
I'll choose my 3 favourites over the next few days and announce it on Facebook this weekend.

Happy pizza making!

x Marnie

Yorkshire Pudding

The first time I remember tasting these little,  golden-brown puffs of delight was with my Nana. She prepared the Sunday roast (usually lamb) with a matter-of-fact style. I don't know if cooking was a pleasure for her, but she always seemed to do traditional English & Irish fare with ease. 

The Yorkshire Pud, as it is better known is always best if eaten straight from the oven and smothered with gravy (homemade gravy of course).

 I never had the chance to make these with my Nana, but was fortunate enough to be given the recipe from a work friend many years ago. We were unpacking boxes of cosmetics at the time, when the conversation came up. This recipe is from her Nana...I'd like to think it's the same one my Grandmother used. I wrote it on a piece of cardboard that I tore from one of the cosmetic boxes and I've kept it with all my other little scribbled down recipes ever since.

Mr 3P loves these protein rich dumplings....they taste even better with farm fresh eggs, laid that day, if you can get them. 

So I made them for him this week when we had a roast pork, potatoes and steamed winter veggies.

And I thought of my Nana...and how much I miss her

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

3 eggs

pinch of salt

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup water

(oil for cooking)

Mix all of the ingredients (except the oil) together ...whisk to remove lumps.

Add a few drops of oil into each cup of a muffin tin and place in the oven at 210º C to heat for 7 minutes.

Carefully remove from the oven and pour batter into each cup about 2/3 full.

Return to the oven and cook for 13-15 mins at 210ºC until risen, golden and puffy.

Serve immediately with your roast and gravy.

Pizza Master Class

Hands up if you like pizza?

....me too!!

Last week Mr 3P and I attended a Pizza Masterclass in Melbourne and I thought I'd share a few of the tips we picked up from the experts and what we used for our base and toppings.

• Yummy fresh ingredients will always make your pizza special. 
• Not overloading the base with too many toppings will ensure that your pizza will cook evenly and not end up a soggy mess. I love that the pizza (above) that one of the chefs' made has just a few simple ingredients and fresh, uncooked toppings too!
• Some toppings, like mushrooms should be pre-cooked before using. The chef cooked his mushrooms in a little olive oil and garlic. I cooked some at home in the same way but added some chilli too!
• Other toppings should be added AFTER your pizza is cooked... like rocket, baby spinach and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Now you can make your own base (like my Farmer's bread recipe here) or you can save the hassle, especially if you're on your way home and can't be bothered making the base, but still want to have some home made pizza. You can pick up these fresh bases from Baker's Delight. They kindly supplied the bases on the night and they were really yummy. Simply add your toppings and pop in the oven....easy

On my pizza I used

• a little of the Leggos Traditional Basil Pesto and some Sugo di Pomodoro
• Bertocchi Flat Sopressa hot salami
• Sauteed button mushrooms
• Lots of anchovies
• Fresh chilli (seeds removed)
• Bertocchi pancetta
• Black olives
• Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus...what a difference this cheese makes to a pizza! I'd normally just use some cheddar. This was a blend of cheese that is perfect to sprinkle on your pizza. It really made the difference and wasn't oily like the cheddar can be.

 Mr 3P and I enjoyed a few drinks on the night thanks to Dan Murphy's. I had a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon called Cat Amongst The Pigeons and he tried this interesting beer ^^

 We were so inspired by our pizza masterclass that we made some more for lunch the next day.

So, what's your favourite pizza topping? And the biggest debate of all time.....does pineapple have the right to be on a pizza?


x Marnie

All of these photos were taken with my iphone as I didn't want to lug around my DSLR on the night, so sorry about the picture quality. xx

Chocolate Cups

Do you like my little chocolate cups? 

The look kinda fancy pants don't you think? 

If you stick around for a minute, I'm going to tell you how to make them for your next fancy pants dinner party....or any shindig that requires chocolateyness.

That would be any day ending in Y................

 I hosted a Chef's Toolbox party for a friend of mine, many moons ago and one of the things I purchased was a set of mini silicone tart cases (not sure if that's what they were actually called, so if you work for Chef's Toolbox, feel free to share in the comments). I've seen similar in most kitchenware shops...so long as they are flexible to peel away from the chocolate, then you're good to go.

Grab some chocolate melts and place into the silicone case. I then microwaved for about 40 seconds. Carefully remove from the microwave and use a teaspoon to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the base and sides. you need a nice thickness so the cups don't crack when you remove them. I'm still trying to perfect this!! You will probably make a few at first that will not work out...but practice makes perfect AND there's leftover choccie to crumble and garnish...or taste test ;)

When you've spread the chocolate evenly, then turn the case upside down onto a plate. I set mine in the fridge and it only takes about 10 minutes.

When set, VERY GENTLY peel the casing away.....and there you have it! 

Ready to be filled with whatever takes your fancy pants!!

I've filled these with whipped cream, sweetened with a little icing sugar and topped with some sweet strawberries. I was thinking a nice adults only version of whipped cream flavoured with a little Baileys and mixed with crushed Maltesers, maybe in a white chocolate case? Or a mixture of fresh berries and yoghurt?

What would you fill your choccie cups with?

sharing here today........

ANZAC Slice {recipe}

I love baking treats for my pickles. You may have seen my recipe for ANZAC cookies a while back (recipe here). Well these are EVEN BETTER! Why? Because they are the laziest version I have ever made...I'm not sure but I think they taste better too.......

This golden crumbliness is perfect cut up into bars (or soldiers as I like to call them) and popped into school lunch boxes. I had to hide some from this batch for the kids school lunch box because I made them for an after school snack (with a little fruit and milk). If some don't get hidden then they won't make it to the next day....it's like watching a swarm of locusts attack a field. You'd think I never feed my kids.............

Ingredients:
1 cup (90g) rolled oats
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
3/4 cup (65g) desiccated coconut
3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
125g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Line your slice tin with baking paper and overhang the paper so you can lift out the slice for cutting later.

2. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

3. In a microwave safe jug or in a small saucepan, melt the butter and golden syrup. 

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together...combine well.

5. Press firmly into prepared slice tin. I use the back of my measuring cup to press down and compact the mixture.

6. Bake for 20-25 mins, until golden. 

7. Allow to cool completely in tin (if you can wait...lol). Slice into squares or bars.

Got some good lunch box recipes you'd like to share? Leave a link to your recipe or write it in the comments box if you like.

Till next time.

Red Papaya Ice Cream Recipe

What can I say but yum?

Today I'm linking up my red papaya (paw paw) ice cream recipe to Anne's blog, Domesblissity for the chance to win a $250 Woolworths Voucher thanks to Papaya Australia, I just had a little browse over at their site and there's some more yummy recipes there to check out. 

My favourite way to eat papaya is served fresh over crushed ice, as nature intended it...but that wouldn't make for much of a recipe now would it? 

So the next best thing I could think of that would keep the integrity of the flavour of the fruit was this...nice, simple & tasty...dare I say healthy too.

 This is such an easy recipe to make. 

And a winner with the kids...they don't even know they're getting another serve of fresh fruit....mwahahaha....

 Ingredients:
300ml milk
250ml cream
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 red papaya, de-seeded, skinned and chopped

Method:
Place all ingredients into a food processor (I used my beloved Ninja)
Pulse until totally blended and smooth.
Place in ice cream maker & churn until frozen.
Serve.

 Wish me luck!

Happy Tummies Link Party #2

I'm running late today! It's been a mad 2 weeks for me, with everything happening at once. I have a million blog posts floating around in my head and stacks of stuff to tell you AND some AMAZZZZZZING giveaways coming up. So if you love collectables and Lego, then visit back this week.

I started Happy Tummies link party off last week, kinda out of the blue, so thank you to the lovely ladies who shared their recipes. 

You can visit their blogs from here.

Hopefully it will gain some momentum, so I can feature my favourites (or die a sad quiet death...lol). 

So please spread the word. It would be great to have a collection of healthy, family friendly reipes here on the blog.

My contribution this week is a link or two from some of my favourite recipes on 3pickles.

Today is Banana Bread...an oldie, but a goodie.

The link to the recipe is here.

Now on to the party. I'll kick things off with a link or two......feel free to add yours. the party runs for a week, so you have plenty of time.

Boring rules:

•  Please Link up only your own recipes. No round-ups, giveaways, etsy shops are to be linked here thanks. 
•  Try to keep the recipes as healthy and family friendly as possible. There are no hard and fast rules here, but that would be nice. 
•  Please link back to 3pickles in your post by grabbing the Happy Tummies button in the sidebar and adding it to your recipe's post. 
•  Stay and mingle…remember, this is a party!! Please leave a couple of comments for others who have shared their recipes.

See you soon.

Muesli Bar Slice Recipe & a GIVEAWAY!!!!

One of the favourites for the school and work lunch boxes.

I know this muesli slice is not exactly a weight loss food, but the kids like it and at least I know exactly what is in it as opposed to a lot of the prepackaged bars in the shops.

And I get to bake something....which I love to do.

Well, it's kinda a mix and pour recipe rather than real baking.

But whatevs....

I purchased this Macro porridge from Woolworths for my own brekkie, but I had to try it out in this recipe. I normally use regular oats. I think this has a better flavour and texture.

The recipe is easy and can be adaptable to suit your tastes. 
All you need to do is mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl:
2 cups of Muesli
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
I added spoonfuls of pepitas, dried cranberries, some sultanas AND
1/2 cup dark choc chips

next:
mix your dry ingredients with a can of sweetened condensed milk ....mix really well
"pour" into a non stick baking tin (or slice tin) I used a silicone slice tray from Chef's Toolbox.
I press the mixture down with a drinking glass.

Bake at 180C for about 15-20 mins. Just check for doneness. The slice should be golden brown.  It will still be soft when you remove it from the oven. Let it cool for 10 mins, then slice into bars and place on a rack to cool completely and firm up.

My family usually tuck into some with a glass of milk, long before the slice cools down.

The rest gets stored in an airtight container, ready for the lunch boxes.

Speaking of lunch boxes, the pickles have been enjoying these Organic juices from Sunraysia that were sent to them to try. I even put some in the freezer....they loved that.

We all want to give our kids healthy options and these juices are up there on the list. 

This is why: Sunraysia Organic is 100% organic fruit juice with Nothing Added, Nothing Taken Away. Made from certified organic fruit, Sunraysia Organic is all natural with no artificial colours and flavours, no chemical pesticides, no genetic modification and no added sugars or preservatives.  There are four fresh, great tasting juices in the range - Apple, Orange, Apple & Blackcurrant and Tropical.

I love the fact that my kids can drink juices from fruit hasn't been sprayed with pesticides. I find that reassuring. 

What's more, the durable pouch that the Sunraysia juices come in are 100% recyclable and, thanks to its unique design, will mean less waste going into Australian landfills.

Sunraysia Organic is certified by Ecocert, one of the world’s largest organic certification organisations, as well as Australian Certified Organic (ACO) Australia’s premier organic certifier.

Sunraysia Organic is available from supermarkets nationally with a RRP of $1.49 each 

or 5 for $5.00 at selected stores.

Would you like to win a bunch of these fabulous juices?

This giveaway has now closed.

The prize :

Thanks to Sunraysia for giving this prize to one lucky reader.

40 samples of the juice (10 of each flavour) - just enough to cover two school lunches per day for one month

&

an eco shopper bag - to make Mum's life a little easier when she's doing the grocery shopping

Value = $70 each

How to enter:

Just let me know in the comments* what you put in your school or work lunch box on an average day. 

I'll choose the most interesting "menu" as the winner. AUSSIE'S ONLY, sorry.

Open to enter until midnight Melbourne time on Wednesday, Feb 20th 2013.

I'll announce the winner on the blog shortly after the giveaway closes.

Good luck.

*A few people have contacted me saying they can't leave a comment (or it deletes itself after they put it up), so if you want to enter and are having a problem, I've decided that you can alternatively send me your entry via email at

threepickles@optusnet.com.au 

Disclosure: This product was provided for editorial consideration.   3pickles has no affiliation with any companies mentioned and has receives no remuneration for posting reviews. All of my opinions are honest and are only influenced by the awesomeness of a product or service. No BS on this blog.
3pickles receive lots of products to review, but only the things that we (Marnie & the pickles) love end up here on the blog.