How do you like your lamb shanks?

There are few favourite meals that I remember from when I was a young whipper schnapper.

Let's just say that my Mum didn't like to cook and her Mum wasn't a cook either. Not sure where I get my love of cooking. Dad likes to watch cooking shows and so do I so let's just go with me getting it from him.

Remember how, as a kid, there were certain meals that you just dreaded!??

For me it was two meals that my Step Father made. One was good old Rice-A-Riso with "can't chew it 'cause it's too tough diced pork". The other was lamb shanks cooked in a frying pan. You know, before lamb shanks were the cool thing to cook and they were still cheap as chips. Tough and chewy! Yuck!

I have never ever eaten Rice-A-Riso since I left home and until I bought a slow cooker a few years back I stayed clear of lamb shanks too.

But last week I came across a slow cooker recipe* for lamb shanks and thought I'd give it a crack. Now I'm here to share it with you.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
Mediterranean  Style

Ingredients

• 4-6 frenched lamb shanks (if you don't wish to sell your first born to buy frenched one just get un-frenched ones)
• 2 tbsp plain flour (use gluten free to make the recipe GF**) seasoned with salt, pepper and dried oregano and basil.
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 3 medium capsiums (I use 1 red, 1 green, 1 orange), chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, chopped
• 3 sticks celery, sliced
• 1 large chilli (seeds in or out, your choice)
• 2 x 400g cans chopped, diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to season
• Arrowroot powder (or similar) to thicken

Putting it together

1. Place lamb and flour in a bowl. Toss to coat. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook lamb for 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until shanks are browned all over. Transfer to the bowl of your slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant and celery to pan. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until vegetables just start to brown.
2. Add vegeatable mix to lamb shanks. Combine tomato paste, stock and wine and pour over lamb and veg. Top with chopped tomatoes.Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8.
3. Remove lamb from sauce and set aside. If sauce is too watery thicken with arrowroot (2 tbsp dissolved in a little water) - stir in oregano and basil and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Serve lamb shanks over mashed potato (GF), pasta, cous cous or quinoa (GF) and ladel over vegetable sauce.

Serves 4-6

Here's some crappy iPhone photos for you

*The original recipe is from here. I've changed it and made it my own

**GF = Gluten Free

The lamb was soooo tender and fell off the bones! Mr Hausfrau loved it and the kids gave it their tick of approval. I ended up with lots of left over sauce so have frozen it and will use it for a meat free pasta or a base for another casserole.

You can also follow me on

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Twitter | @AussieHausfrau

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If you've been following me on facebook you may or may not know that I have registered for a 220km bike ride  for the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2013. This is a cause close to my heart as I have lost some very special people to this horrible disease. As part of my entry I need to fund raise a minimum of $2500 to take part in the actual ride. I really hate asking for donations but I've been told that it's the only way! Do you have a spare $2? Every little bit helps. All money raised will go directly to support cancer patients and their families and all donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Thank you!!



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{Wordless Wednesday} What is wrong with this picture?

Can you see the problem??

Linking up with Bree from Twinkle in the Eye for a Wordless Wednesday!

and My Little Drummer Boys too!!

You can also follow me on

facebook | www.facebook.com/TheAussieHausfrau

Twitter | @AussieHausfrau

Instagram | @aussie_hausfrau

If you've been following me on facebook you may or may not know that I have registered for a 220km bike ride  for the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2013. This is a cause close to my heart as I have lost some very special people to this horrible disease. As part of my entry I need to fund raise a minimum of $2500 to take part in the actual ride. I really hate asking for donations but I've been told that it's the only way! Do you have a spare $2? Every little bit helps. All money raised will go directly to support cancer patients and their families and all donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Thank you!!



Dear Parents of Teenage Girls. Gather 'Round....

Please watch this

I draw your attention to the 9 second mark.

Go on. Go watch it again. I'll wait.

Now, I ask you. Is that really truly the face of an "upset teenage girl"??

??????

Dear Vanish Napisan PR people. I invite you to come and spend a week at my house to see what an upset teenage girl actually looks like, 'cause I guarantee you that a normal upset teenage girl looks nothing like that!

If that is their idea of a teenage girl being "so upset" I'd love to see how they'd portray one that is in the throes of a bitchy moody hormone riddled PMS'y week. You know, one who snaps at you for the slightest thing, back chats when asked to do something and blames you for every possible thing that goes wrong in their life that week - or maybe that is just my little Princess BitchFace darling.

That. Up there. Is PrincessBF on a good day. She'd have a lot more to say than just pulling a slight grimace on her face if her favourite pair of white jeans were ruined. But I love her and wouldn't have her any other way. For now.

Parents with teens. Is that how your teenage daughter behaves when she is "so upset"?

Really truly?

Acutally, don't tell me. I don't want to know. 

Unless of course your daughter is more like my devil child and then comment away and make me feel better.

Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT - It's been a while!!

click to go there!

You can also follow me on

facebook | www.facebook.com/TheAussieHausfrau

Twitter | @AussieHausfrau

Instagram | @aussie_hausfrau

If you've been following me on facebook you may or may not know that I have registered for a 220km bike ride  for the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2013. This is a cause close to my heart as I have lost some very special people to this horrible disease. As part of my entry I need to fund raise a minimum of $2500 to take part in the actual ride. I really hate asking for donations but I've been told that it's the only way! Do you have a spare $2? Every little bit helps. All money raised will go directly to support cancer patients and their families and all donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Thank you!!



Another soup? I'm like a freaking Soup Nazi or something - but instead of "No soup for you!" it's "More soup for you!!"

It really is a coincidence that my 3rd recipe in a row is another soup one. Honestly it is.

It must be the weather or something.

Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup

I've made this one before. Last winter actually. Back when I had a working oven so I had to tweak* it a little this time but I'll give you the original. Assuming your oven is working which I'm sure it is.

What goes in this soup

3 heads of garlic
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large brown onion, chopped
800g  potatoes (I use Ruby Lou or Royal Blue), peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable (you could use chicken stock)
1/4 cup cream
Chives, chopped


Putting it together

1. Preheat oven to 120°C. Cut garlic heads in half and place into a small ovenproof dish. Add half the thyme. Drizzle with the olive oil. Cover with some foil and roast for 1.5 hours or until garlic is very soft. Remove garlic from oil and keep the oil. Set garlic aside to cool. Once cooled, squeeze soft garlic flesh from skin.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion are soft. Add the potatoes and remaining thyme. Stir to coat the potatoes in the oil and onion mixture. Pour in the stock and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil the reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Set aside to cool slightly - about 20 minutes should do it. Stir through garlic flesh.
3. Blend soup in batches until smooth and to saucepan (or use a stick blender like I do) Reheat over low heat for 5 minutes or until hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle soup into serving bowls and add a swirl a little cream to the top of the soup. Top with chives and serve with crusty bread!

Delish! Serves probably 4 depending on how much you eat.

*How did you tweak it Toni? 

Let me tell you!
1. First, I forgot to buy heads of garlic but I had a packet of pre-peeled garlic cloves in my fridge. So seeing as I don't have an oven I heated the oil in my pot and cooked the garlic whole for 20-30 minutes over low-medium heat. I used less garlic as I knew that cooking for less time would result in a stronger garlic taste.

2. I couldn't, in the 2 different fruit and veg shops I went to, find fresh thyme. My thyme plants was attacked by bugs so I had to use that packed fresh herb stuff.

So, that's that. You could, if you wanted to, add bacon to this little beauty. I did last time but this time I haven't as it's Meat Free Monday here tonight.

Let me know if you give it a whirl won't you.

Do you do Meat Free Monday too?

You can also follow me on

facebook | www.facebook.com/TheAussieHausfrau

Twitter | @AussieHausfrau

Instagram | @aussie_hausfrau

If you've been following me on facebook you may or may not know that I have registered for a 220km bike ride  for the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2013. This is a cause close to my heart as I have lost some very special people to this horrible disease. As part of my entry I need to fund raise a minimum of $2500 to take part in the actual ride. I really hate asking for donations but I've been told that it's the only way! Do you have a spare $2? Every little bit helps. All money raised will go directly to support cancer patients and their families and all donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Thank you!!



{Meal Plan Monday}

Well Meal Plan Mondays are back. Fortnightly, 'cause that's how I roll. For how long they'll be back I don't know, but on Friday I sat on my arse all day I had some spare time on my hands so put together this fortnights meals in advance. Oh I have been doing meal plans but nothing concrete and definitley not in advance like I once did. More like half weekly.

So with footy training in full swing and now basketball taking up my Monday evenings I need to be more prepared. Mondays need to be quick foods and preferrably meatless and Tuesdays and Thursdays are perfect slow cooker nights after footy training! This fortnight most of my recipes are from my trusty Taste iPhone app. Some are old favourites and some are new, yet to be tried recipes.

Oh and I still have that "no working oven" thing going on.

Week 1

Monday - {Meat Free Monday} Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup

Tuesday - {Slow Cooker} Mediterranean Style Lamb Shanks

Wednesday - Green Thai Chicken Curry

Thursday - {Slow Cooker} Chicken Cacciatore

Friday - {Family Fun Night} Clean Home Made Pizzas

Saturday - Rigatoni with Italian Sausage & Broccoli Last minute BBQ at Mum's house ;)

Sunday - {Slow Cooker} Beef & Red Wine Casserole with Cheesy Dumplings

Week 2

Monday - {Meat Free Monday} Gnocchi with Spicy Tomato & Feta Sauce

Tuesday - {Slow Cooker} Beef Curry with Rice and Pappadums

Wednesday - Kangaroo Fillet with Salad and Baked Potatoes

Thursday - {Slow Cooker} Whole Spiced Chicken with  Sweet Potato Chips & Salad

Friday - Fish coated in Dukkah with Avocado Salsa {unless we head out for Date Night!!}

Saturday - Thai Beef Salad with Nam Jim

Sunday - Spaghetti Bol


I'll post some of these recipes and link them back to here in the next few days so check back if you're interested in any of them. If there's one you'd like but I don't link it please let me know and I'll put it up.

Do you use a slow cooker during the cooler months?

You can also follow me on

facebook | www.facebook.com/TheAussieHausfrau

Twitter | @AussieHausfrau

Instagram | @aussie_hausfrau

If you've been following me on facebook you may or may not know that I have registered for a 220km bike ride  for the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2013. This is a cause close to my heart as I have lost some very special people to this horrible disease. As part of my entry I need to fund raise a minimum of $2500 to take part in the actual ride. I really hate asking for donations but I've been told that it's the only way! Do you have a spare $2? Every little bit helps. All money raised will go directly to support cancer patients and their families and all donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Thank you!!



Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do Pho Bo - A Soup That Sings To Me!

Two nights a fortnight Mr Hausfrau and I find ourselves kid free for dinner. Tonight our kids are with their other parents and tomorrow night they don't get back here until after dinner.

On these nights, date nights if you will, if we don't head out for dinner or call for take out, we like to have something that we wouldn't normally have when the kids are here. Usually spicy things. I think we've put the local Thai place owners kids through school!

Tonight a yummy soup is on the menu. A Vietnamese recipe that I've tweeked 'cause we like it hot spicy. It's a Vietnamese beef noodle soup called Phở bò tái nạm - or Pho bo for short. This one is a raw beef soup but don't worry. The beef cooks once the hot broth is added. Stick with me until the end won't you.

What I use

120grms lean rump steak, thinly sliced*
4 cups of beef stock (I use the salt reduced one as the fish sauce will add salt)
2 cups water
1 tbsp fish sauce
1.5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari if you can find it
3cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced, no need to peel
2 pods of star anise
1 medium cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 large red chilli, thinly sliced, seeds in or out depending on your heat threshold. In for us!
80grms dried vermicelli noodles
120g bean sprouts
1/3 cup coriander sprigs
1/3 cup Thai basil leaves
1/3 fresh mint leaves
1 large lime, juiced

How I do it

1. In a pot add the stock, water, fish sauce, tamari, ginger, star anise cinnamon stick, cloves, and half the chilli. Bring to the boil for 5 minutes.
2. While that's happening prepare the vermicelli as per packet instructions, drain and set aside.
3. Using a slotted spoon remove the ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and chilli from the broth.
4. In a bowl place some vermicelli, basil, mint, coriander, chilli and raw beef.
5. Bring the broth back to the boil and add the lime juice.
6. Ladel broth into bowl. The boiling hot broth will cook the finely sliced beef within seconds!

It's full of flavour and sooooo delicious!

* I like to cut the beef while it's still frozen on my bread cutting machine. It comes out perfectly thin. Paper like even! Tonight I cut my ginger on it too.

Do you Pho Bo too??

You can also follow me on

facebook | www.facebook.com/TheAussieHausfrau

Twitter | @AussieHausfrau

Instagram | @aussie_hausfrau

If you've been following me on facebook you may or may not know that I have registered for a 220km bike ride  for the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2013. This is a cause close to my heart as I have lost some very special people to this horrible disease. As part of my entry I need to fund raise a minimum of $2500 to take part in the actual ride. I really hate asking for donations but I've been told that it's the only way! Do you have a spare $2? Every little bit helps. All money raised will go directly to support cancer patients and their families and all donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Thank you!!