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Hearty Chicken and root vegetable tray bake

<p>Healthy recipe blogger Lilian Dikmans shares her go-to meal recipe that requires minimal effort! She shares a delicious dinner bake recipe here.</p> <p>"I love tray bakes. They're versatile, require minimal effort and create minimal washing up. I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than do a mountain of dishes. They are also great if you're cooking for a crowd; just use a huge tray and add more ingredients.</p> <p>I use free-range chicken thighs (which I buy in bulk and freeze in portions) and then change up the root vegetables depending on what I have (i.e. what's in season/cheapest at the grocer). So feel free to adjust the recipe to suit what you have, keeping in mind that larger pieces of meat will require longer cooking time."</p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <ul> <li>4 free-range chicken thighs</li> <li>1 sweet potato</li> <li>2 small white potatoes (I used dutch cream ones)</li> <li>1/4 teaspoon chilli powder</li> <li>Sea salt</li> <li>Black pepper</li> <li>Olive oil</li> <li>Fresh parsley, to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions:</strong></p> <p>1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan-forced. Place the chicken thighs in a large baking tray.</p> <p>2. Chop the potatoes into pieces about 3cm thick and arrange around the chicken. Drizzle everything with a good amount of olive oil and sprinkle over the chilli powder, some sea salt and cracked black pepper.</p> <p>3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and everything is browned. To serve, season with more sea salt and black pepper if required and top with torn up fresh parsley.</p> <p><strong>Tips:</strong></p> <p>I used skinless chicken thighs, but if you're using chicken with the skin on I would recommend searing the chicken skin-side down in a pan (or in the baking tray if it's flame-proof) before baking to ensure that the skin goes crispy.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/chicken-and-root-vegetable-tray-bake-ld.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Chicken, chorizo and olive tray bake

<p>“This wonderful mid-week bake requires very little labour, yet is incredibly delicious. Sherry, a fortified wine, adds complexity and character. I use a Spanish variety but there are some great Australian options that you can find at most bottle shops. This dish is versatile and the ingredients are interchangeable. I sometimes swap the chickpeas for parboiled waxy potatoes or add different herbs, such as bay leaves and oregano, or chilli and tomatoes. A simple salad of herbs and peppery green leaves, such as rocket, works really nicely with this,” writes Justine Schofield in her latest cookbook <em>Simple Every Day.</em></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves</span>:</strong> 4</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients</span>:</strong></p> <ul> <li>6 boneless chicken thighs, skin on, cut in half</li> <li>1 onion, thinly sliced</li> <li>1 red capsicum, thinly sliced</li> <li>2 chorizo sausages, thinly sliced on the diagonal</li> <li>2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil</li> <li>salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper</li> <li>1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg</li> <li>4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and bruised</li> <li>150 g green Sicilian olives</li> <li>1 x 400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</li> <li>3 rosemary sprigs</li> <li>8 cm strip of orange zest</li> <li>80 ml dry sherry (or a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or chardonnay)</li> <li>125 ml chicken stock</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method</span>:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 200°C.</li> <li>Combine the chicken, onion, capsicum and chorizo in a bowl. Drizzle over the oil and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Mix well with your hands.</li> <li>Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat and add the chicken, skin-side down. Seal on each side for 2–3 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Remove and place, skin-side up, in a 2 litre ovenproof baking dish. To the same pan, add the onion, capsicum and chorizo and seal for 3–4 minutes until golden. Now add to the baking dish along with the garlic, olives, chickpeas, rosemary and orange zest and arrange in an even layer.</li> <li>Drain away any excess oil from the pan and heat over high heat. Add the sherry, stir to deglaze and cook for 1 minute or until reduced by one-third. Pour the reduced sherry and the stock in and around the meat and vegetables, then bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and the pan juices have reduced. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.</li> </ol> <p><img width="146" height="191" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7266954/simpleeveryday_book-cover_146x191.jpg" alt="Simple Every Day _Book Cover (6)" style="float: right;"/></p> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of </em>Simple Every Day<em> by Justine Schofield (Plum, $39.99).</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Cheesy ham and pineapple tray sliders

<p>If you are looking for a hot dinner option without the fuss, these cheesy ham and pineapple tray sliders are your answer – the perfect balance between oozing melted cheese and sweet pineapple.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes:</span> </strong>6</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>6 bread rolls (you can use sourdough, multigrain or wholemeal rolls</li> <li>12 slices cheddar cheese</li> <li>300g ham off the bone, shaved</li> <li>1 small pineapple, peeled, sliced thinly and cored</li> <li>A few sprigs sage</li> <li>2 tablespoons olive oil</li> <li>Tomato sauce, to serve, optional</li> </ul> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Fancy it up with some prosciutto instead of the ham! If you can’t find fresh sage, use one tablespoon dried sage or some coriander instead, it marries really well with pineapple.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).</li> <li>Slice rolls in half across. Place bottom pieces closely together inside a baking dish or tray. Top each with ham, 2-3 thin pineapple slices, cheddar and 2-3 sage leaves per roll.</li> <li>Cover with the other half of the bun, place a sage leaf on top and brush the tops with butter.</li> <li>Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are golden and cheese melted. Serve immediately with tomato sauce on the side.       </li> </ol> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of <a href="http://www.aussiepineapples.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Australian Pineapples</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk%20%20%20" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</span></a>.</strong></em></p>

Food & Wine

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3 tips to clean tough stains from baking trays

<p>It may be one of your least favourite jobs but cleaning your baking trays is an unfortunate necessity. Burnt food, grease and grime can accumulate quickly on this kitchen workhorse, especially if you’re leaving it awhile between scrubbings. Sadly, a dishwasher just can’t apply the same kind of focused pressure that a manual scrubbing can. Fortunately, you can return your trays to their former glory with a little bit of elbow grease and some cleaning know-how. Here’s our top three tips for removing tough stains.</p> <ol> <li>If you’re dealing with a greasy tray or burnt and blackened food, ensure you remove any big clumps from the tray with paper towel. You don’t need to scrub, just remove as much grease or loose soot as possible.</li> <li>For a greasy tray, fill your kitchen sink with piping hot water and add a good squirt of a concentrated dishwashing liquid. Pop the tray in and soak for a couple of hours or even overnight. Once the grease has softened, use a soft sponge or cloth (for a non-stick tray) or a more robust sponge or scourer (for a regular tray) to remove remaining grease and oil. Once you’ve done the hard yards, pop into the dishwasher to remove any last traces of residue.</li> <li>For a charred tray, the best technique uses baking soda and hot water. Boil your kettle then fill the sink with the hot water. Add a cup of baking soda and wait for the bubbles to subside. Pop your tray into the sink and leave for an hour or longer. Once the crusts have softened, wipe away with a dishcloth or sponge then pop into the dishwasher for a sparkling clean tray.</li> </ol> <p>Do you have a no-fail method for cleaning crusty baking trays? Share your tips with us in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/09/things-you-didnt-know-your-rice-cooker-could-do/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">7 things you didn’t know your rice cooker could do</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/10/ways-to-use-hot-glue-around-the-house/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 genius ways to use hot glue around the house</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/easy-trick-to-whiten-yellow-pillows/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The easy trick to whiten old pillows</span></em></strong></a></p>

Home & Garden

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Trick to make stained cookware look new again

<p>Cookware looking worse for wear? Before throwing it in the bin and giving it up as impossible to clean, give one of these methods a go. You might just discover your baking sheet has some life left in it after all.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE</span></strong></p> <p>Stainless steel cookware can last forever if treated correctly. That doesn’t mean however that it’s immune from rust and dirt. Try a clean-up job with the following.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You will need:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Hydrogen peroxide</li> <li>Baking soda</li> <li>Steel wool/abrasive scrubbing brush</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Sprinkle on a generous layer of baking soda, followed by a layer of hydrogen peroxide, then a final layer of baking soda.</li> <li>Let sit for a couple of hours (or overnight)</li> <li>Get scrubbing with your steel cool.</li> </ol> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TO REMOVE RUST</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You will need:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Pumice cleaner</li> <li>Abrasive pad</li> <li>Oven cleaner</li> <li>Plastic wrap</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Sprinkle the rust with pumice cleaner.</li> <li>Use the abrasive pad to scrub away at the rust. If that works, rinse your tray and you’re done. If the stain remains, try the following:</li> <li>Spray the rust stains with oven cleaner. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight to heat gently.</li> <li>In the morning, unwrap the tray and place in a hot oven for 20 minutes.</li> <li>Remove bakeware and let it cool before soaking in warm, soapy water and scrubbing off any remaining rust.</li> </ol> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ALUMINIUM BAKEWARE</span></strong></p> <p>Aluminium cookware can be quite prone to staining. To restore it to its former glory, try using the following.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>You will need:</strong><br /> </span></p> <ul> <li>Water</li> <li>Distilled white vinegar</li> <li>A pot</li> <li>Scrubbing pad</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Fill the pot with equal parts water and white vinegar.</li> <li>Bring the mix to the boil then allow it to cool to room temperature.</li> <li>Saturate the pad in the mixture and scrub the stains clean</li> <li>Rinse the bakeware with soapy water and leave to dry.</li> </ol> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">GLASS COOKWARE</span></strong></p> <p>Glass cookware is extremely effective but can get messy very fast. To restore sparkle to your Pyrex try and following.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You will need:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Baking soda</li> <li>Dish soap</li> <li>Sponge</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Fill the bottom of your pan/dish with baking soda followed by dish soap.</li> <li>Fill the dish with hot water and let sit for 15 minutes.</li> <li>Empty out the dish and scrub with a regular sponge.</li> </ol> <p>What is your most effective way to remove stains from cookware? Share your tips with us in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/your-bed-sheets-could-be-making-you-sick/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Your bed sheets could be making you sick</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/how-to-clean-your-bathroom-like-a-professional/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to clean your bathroom like a professional</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/ways-to-ripen-your-avocado-in-minutes/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 ways to ripen your avocado in minutes</span></em></strong></a></p>

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DIY chalkboard serving tray

<p>Bring something extra special to your next wine and cheese night with this clever DIY chalkboard serving tray.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You will need:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>A plastic serving tray</li> <li>Paint brush</li> <li>Painters tape</li> <li>Chalkboard paint</li> <li>Non-sanded grout</li> <li>White chalk</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to: </span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Use your painter’s tape to mark off the areas of your tray that you don’t want painted.</li> <li>Mix two parts chalkboard paint with one part grout.</li> <li>Use your paintbrush to coat your tray. Let dry for an hour.</li> <li>Apply a second coat of paint, painting in the opposite direction as your first one. Let dry.</li> <li>Top with food and label with white chalk! Be careful when using your trays not to chip the paint away with cheese knives. You might want to put them atop paper.</li> </ol> <p><em>Photo source: <a href="http://www.popsugar.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>P</strong></span></a><a href="http://www.popsugar.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>opsugar</strong></span></a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/08/diy-bath-bombs/">DIY Bath bombs</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/07/diy-nature-place-cards/">3 easy-to-make place cards</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/08/diy-kitchen-tablet-holder/">DIY kitchen tablet holder</a></strong></em></span></p>

Home & Garden

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Make a decoupage tray – it’s easier than you'd think

<p>If you’re after a personalised tray to use to serve afternoon tea, this easy DIY project is for you.</p> <p>Grab your favourite magazine images to create your own one-of-a-kind tray. It could be images of flowers, plants, shells, teacups, or anything that takes your fancy.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You will need:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>A plain laquered tray</li> <li>Découpage durable gloss finish</li> <li>Paintbrush</li> <li>Scissors</li> <li>Magazine images of choice</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Wipe your tray with a soft damp cloth and allow to air dry.</p> <p>2. Cut out the images from the pages of magazines that you wish to use. Remove any background on the pictures and arrange them on your tray.</p> <p>3. Use your paintbrush to paint découpage finish onto the back of each image. Paste them onto the tray and allow to dry for two hours.</p> <p>4. Now paint the whole tray with découpage finish and allow to dry for two hours. Add another coat to make the tray extra durable.</p> <p><em>Image credit: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/12736811423158061/" target="_blank">Etsy/Pinterest</a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/03/make-tinted-jars/">How to make your own tinted jars</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/02/revamp-lampshade/">How to revamp a lampshade</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/diy/2015/02/spray-bottle-chalk/">The grandkids will love this homemade spray chalk</a></strong></em></span></p>

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