veggies – Mummy To Twins Plus One

I love going to the Veggie Patch in Blackheath. As the name suggests they sell fresh produce: fruit and vegetables. However, they also sell pasta, sauces, and all sorts of yummy things.

The Veggie Patch at Blackheath. This greengrocer supplies lovely fresh produce with great service.

Pasta, sauces and other yummy things available at the Veggie Patch at Blackheath.

The produce always looks so fresh, the staff that work there are super friendly, and seem to really care about what they are doing. Everyone that works at The Veggie Patch treats the produce with such care.

The wonderful fresh produce from the Veggie Patch at Blackheath. They even have FREE delivery.

Another nice thing that makes me love this fruit and veg shop is that it is a small business and I am helping the local economy by shopping here.

I even purchased my meat from the local butcher (The Blackheath Butchers) and the crusty bread for this meal at the bakery (The Sourdough Bakery in Blackheath) both located in Blackheath, just doors down from the Veggie Patch. Hence, it makes all the shopping so convenient.

Sourdough with sunflower seeds. This bread is so yummy you just want to have more of it.

My slow Cooked Beef & Vegetable Casserole

I don’t have a slow cooker but I have a fancy looking casserole dish (It is a pretty blue and has white spots – very funky and retro looking). Due to not having a slow cooker my casserole dish ends up acting like one instead. I add all the ingredients. Put it in the oven and let it cook for hours. Job done, and a delicious one too!

You might say that this is rather old school regarding slow cooking, and you are probably right.

I have looked at getting the new slow cookers but they are very big and will take up an enormous amount of space that I don’t have in my small kitchen with limited counter tops.

This recipe for slow cooked beef & vegetable casserole is perfect for those cool autumn nights and when it gets even colder in winter. You can have a nice piece of crusty bread with this dish, and a glass of red wine. I’m sure you would not want much more after this. Aside, from having a roaring wood burning fire that is.

So how do you make my scrumptious casserole? Read on to find out how easy this really is.

Before you get started, make sure to heat up the oven. Set it to 180 ℃

INGREDIENTS:

2 carrots
A big handful of beans
6-8 small potatoes cut up finely
3-4 pieces of broccolini
1 onion chopped to small or bite sized pieces
6-8 mushrooms roughly chopped up
1 tin of Diced Italian Tomatoes with Basil, garlic, and onion. My tin was from Woolworths but you can have any really, it is up to you and what type of casserole you are making.
Beerenberg Taka Tala Sauce and Marinade – I added the whole jar (This sauce was also purchased at the Blackheath Butchers). It is up to you what sauce you use. You could use a red wine slow roasting casserole or any sauce for slow cooked meals. I know that this sauce is really a marinade but it works very well as a casserole or in a slow cooker.
You can serve this with mash potato or sometimes I like to add carrots or other vegetables to the mash as well. It gives lovely different colours and add to the flavour of the dish
If you decide that mash is not what you would prefer, then you can choose rice or maybe some leafy greens for a nice side to balance the meat and vegetables.

Note: You can substitute any vegetable or ingredient that you would rather. Also, if you have things in the fridge or cupboard that would work, use them, and have a tasty meal with items you already have.

I was going to have mash potato with this meal but decided against it due to adding potatoes to the mixture. Instead I’m having some rice and serving it with some crusty bread.

Another view of all the fabulous fresh vegetables.

METHOD:

Cut up all the vegetables and add the sauce as well as the tomatoes to the casserole dish.
Make sure to mix up all the ingredients before you add the meat.
Once the meat is added stir the ingredients again in the casserole dish.
Add the casserole into the oven and cook for a couple of hours. Check every 30 minutes or so to making sure to stir and to check if all is cooking okay and not sticking to the dish.
Once done the meat should be tender and the vegetables should be soft and melt in your mouth.
If you are having mash potato or other vegetables it is a good idea to get this ready now. You can take out the casserole from the oven as the dish would be extremely hot and keep the dinner warm.

I hope you enjoy my take on a slow cook casserole without using a slow cooker.

All cooked and finished. This slow cooked beef and veggie casserole is ready to eat.

Disclaimer: This post was written as an entry to The Fresh Awards 2017 Blogger Awards – Greengrocer Story. I go to the Veggie Patch regularly and love cooking with nice fresh produce.

The Veggie Patch have a community spirit and update their window to help local groups and causes.

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Originally published March 29 2017

Fruit and vegetables. Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My kids don’t enough food, let alone veggies, and I thought this was not good, until I read this article from Holistic Kid – 4 Food Groups All Kids Should Eat. In the article it says that children are born with “weak digestive “Qi” (energy) so it makes sense that in their formative years, kids need foods that are easier to digest than brussels sprouts.” This might be true, as my girls don’t eat a lot of veggies and if they do, maybe a bite here or there.

I have been trying to hide, vegies and fruits into foods and sometimes it is a winner and sometimes not. Do you try and hide food so that your child gets more nutrition? I add vitamins to the girl’s milk and they actually ask for the medicine in the milk, they must like the taste. I must have the only kids that actually want the vitamins added to their milk.

The reason for the vitamins in the milk is that my girls have always been under weight, and have never eaten a lot. I would like to make sure that they are getting adequate vitamins for growth (and who knows when a growth spurt will strike) and also to keep the girls well from colds and flu.

So what does the article recommend kids eat? Good question, they are broken down into four areas, and they are:

Saturated Fats – Whole dairy, eggs, nuts, avocados, healthy oils, olive oil and so on
Bone Broth (this surprised me, but makes sense – Mums homemade chicken soup “The minerals, gelatin, and glycosaminoglycans in bone broth promote proper development of bone and dental structure, as well as healthy hair, nails and joints. Bone broth can also help with digestive problems, food allergies, and immune health.”
Cultured Foods – Yoghurt, “Cultured foods contain naturally occurring probiotics that provide kids with a wide variety of health benefits by populating the digestive tract with healthy bacteria.”
Seasonal, Local Produce – Although the article says that we as parents should not lose sleep over kids not eating more fruit and veggies it states that kids should at least have some every day. The recommendation is to take your kids to the markets and purchase local produce. Local produce is meant to taste better as it has a more flavour.

Do you think your kids are not getting enough vegetables? My girls seem to have fruit it is just the veggie issue; however with the view of the Holistic Kid article it appears that if they are having a bit that is fine too. Send in your comments.