Sardines on Toast the final 10 with 5 recipe !!

Ten recipes with five ingredients.... sounds pretty easy doesn't it ??  Well , it was easy enough , I mean how hard can five ingredients be to prep and use ?? lol.  For me it was actually stopping at five ingredients that was the hardest part , not that I use twenty in my meals , but eight or ten for a full meal is about normal. I managed to make my way through the ten , though , pushing myself with a  couple of full meals, even a vegetarian one, a couple of new appetizers , even the pantry staple beef stock made an appearance.  Click here for the previous nine posts :) http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/10with5
So for my final one , I wanted to try something completely different  ( well for me at least ) I was thinking of making a dessert ( I can not even remember the last one I made ??? ) then somewhere out of left field I got the idea  to try something completely new ...  maybe not to you , but for me who has never eaten a sardine before... this was something new !!

Ingredients required ( Enough for 4 good sized pieces, or lunch for two ) 


1 tin of sardines.
1 bell pepper ( I used 1/2 a yellow & 1/2 a red, from rainbow pack )
1 hunk of crusty bread ( enough for 4 thick slices )
2 Tablespoons of Caesar dressing
Hot Sauce to Taste ( I used a great southern one Bourbon Street Bad )
Freshly cracked black pepper to suit .
( Salt is shown , but was not required )

Alternative to hot sauce ingredient - Green Onions

Assemble your ingredients .

Dice or slice up the peppers, and find a can opener.   Meanwhile , slice your bread and get it into the toaster oven.  

So thats what all the fuss was about, I've got to say , I was pretty happy that I wasn't stunk out of the kitchen .  These did have a slightly fishy smell , but nothing like what I was expecting.  

I tried just a couple the for the first one, just in case I didn't like it... but there was nothing to worry about .

This picture is slightly out of order, I as forgot to take a picture of them before mixing on the first batch .   But it really is a easy as taking the back of a fork , and smushing away .

Add in the Caesar dressing and diced peppers. Simply scoop some out and lightly press it onto the toast. 

Spread it onto your toast , giving it a slight push to help it stick.   A few dashes of your favourite hot sauce , and your set.  Looks great !! I wonder what its going to taste like ?? 

Tasted like a second piece !!  I was pleasantly surprised, I figured the bones or the smell would bother me, but nope! They tasted great , and I plan on buying more soon !!   Its a bit hard to describe the taste and textures,  but for me .. it was somewhere between salmon and tuna.  I have to admit , I scarfed it down so fast , I didn't even think about it until after the fact . 

Ill leave you with this one, I tried. Without the hot sauce, and with a little diced green onion on top.  This was  very light and tasty snack !!   

I hope you have enjoyed reading the 10 with 5 challenge posts. I know I have really enjoyed participating !!  Its been a lot of fun , and a great challenge to stop at at 5 ingredients.   Please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought ?

Simple & Easy Beef Stock #10w5 - 9

I have been making my own stock for several years now , with varied successes...   the last few batches though have been great , and Ive stopped buying store bought .   I just make a big batch and freeze it into different sized bags or containers.   That way If i only need a cup , I just take out one cups worth. I have not tried making one with only 5 ingredients before .. ( its usually closer to ten with herbs )  which ones  do I choose , which ones should i leave out ??  The herbs I decided could be added later , which really brought me down to 6 ingredients... still to many :( It was a toss up between carrots, celery and garlic...   Garlic is my all time fav , so that stayed ...  It was a tough choice, in the end I let a coin choose for me , and carrots it was.

Ingredients Required : Makes 5 litres


5lbs of beef bones - Frozen is fine
3 large carrots
6 or 7 medium onions
1 head of garlic
10 litres of water


For something so simple to make I sure took a LOT of photos during this process,  I have condensed a few of the shots.  The order is Top Left , Top Right, Bottom Left , Bottom Right.

NO need to defrost the bones , if they are frozen,  just put them on a baking tray for 10 minutes in the 350F oven ,  the separate and add 3 halved onions, and a half a head of garlic, drizzle with sunflower oil , and give it a few pinches of sea salt.  Into the oven for about 45 minutes, it should look something like the bottom left picture.  Get your biggest pot out, I have a 20Quart one i use for stocks and canning.  

Crispy Chili Cheese Bites #10w5 - 8

I came across a simple recipe for a baked crab Rangoon ...  which I tried, with a few twists of course, and liked !!  It wasn't so much the dish, it was good , that I liked but the idea !  So simple, yet so versatile.   It didn't take very long for me to start thinking up several new ways to use a baked wonton wrapper for appetizers.  Having just made a huge stock pile of chili last week,  an idea started forming.  I just needed to keep it to 5 ingredients for the 10 with 5 challenge who's deadline is fast approaching !!  Oh being very low cost , this appetizer qualifies for my latest series Good Food , Cheap .

Ingredients required : Makes 12


12 Wonton wrappers ( $ 0.10  )  $1.50 per 100pc pkg.
1/3 red bell pepper  ( $0.25 )  $2.00 for 3
1 green onion  ( $ 0.10 ) $ 0.69 per bunch
1 cup of chili ( $0.50 ) Cost me about $28 to make 14 Quarts
1 knob of good cheese - I used 6 year old cheddar.  ( $2.00 )

Total Cost $ 3.00  per dozen 


As for how many to serve,  I would think 6 as an appetizer would be plenty,  I had 12 for a light meal, and 18 as my dinner.  I do tend to eat large portions though.

Okay , on we go :

Assemble to the ingredients.  Small muffin pans are required.  

I sliced up about a 2cm wedge of cheese ( and made 24 with it )  small dice on the red pepper, and green onion. Give the muffin pan  a quick spray or wipe lightly with oil. I happen to have some garlic infused olive oil in a mister. 

Spicy Salmon & Cucumber Appetizer #10w5 , 7 Good Food, Cheap

I grew up having these little salmon and cucumber sandwiches... which were always nice, tasty and delicate. I finally decided to try a version more to my liking. I was able to turn them into little appetizers, perfect for snack time on Sunday :))  Ive kept these to 5 ingredients for the challenge... simple , easy , good food , cheap!! 


Ingredients you will need : 

1 can 418G Wild Red Pacific Salmon ( Or whatever you have ) $4.00 ( On sale ) 

2 small/medium red onions $ 0.50 ( $2 for 5lbs ) 

1 English cucumber $ 0.75 

Renee's Mighty Caesar Salad Dressing ( If not using this one, Id add a clove or two of chopped garlic to the mix) $ 0.75 ( $6 for 750ml ) 

2 red chili peppers $ 0.10  ( $2.00 for a huge bagful ) 

Freshly Cracked Black Pepper 

Total Cost , Under $7.00 , easily makes enough snacks for 6 people.  

Alaska Wild Salmon, with red onion, cucumber, dried chili pepper, and in place of mayo is my favourite Caesar dressing 

Simply empty the tin into a mixing bowl,  slice & dice up the onions and half of the cucumber.  The other have , cut into slices . approx 1/4" thick.  

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 10with5 #6

Finally past the halfway mark on the 10 recipes with 5 ingredients  :) Good thing too , as there is only two weeks left to finish them.   This one is based on a dish I made last year ,  was a bacon wrapped mushroom , stuffed with cheese, peppers, hummus , garlic an onions..  a few to many ingredients for a 10w5 but I figured I could easily rework it.   I had some great bacon from the butchers, and was really looking forward to recreating what has become one of my favourite appetizers, sadly when I unwrapped the bacon , it had started to turn.  was probably edible, but I didn't want to chance it, and at the last moment switched out bacon for some cheese :))

Ingredients you will require :


1 package of portabello mushrooms ( 2 per person is plenty for a snack )
2 Red Onions
2 Mexican Sausages ( Or whatever flavour you like )
1 Red Pepper
6 year old cheddar, i used about 75g worth

The assembled ingredients , I used about an inch of the cheddar.  

Open the sausages , and remove the mince.  Wash and slice the onions and pepper,  remove the stems from the mushrooms and wash or brush clean .  

Add onions and pepper to the sausage, maybe a crack or two of black pepper :)   

Mix well, until its even.    Preheat your oven to 350F 

Arrange on a light greased backing tray .  This was a mistake !!!  They really need to be on a rack - See next pictures.  

Take small handfuls of the sausage mixture and form it onto the top of the mushroom. 

I had to rescue these from the oven , as mentioned I did not use a rack to start - MISTAKE - and saved these just in time from becoming a soggy mess.  

Back into the 350F oven, total cook time was a little over 30 minutes, a little longer than normal due to the mistake.   When they look cooked , add a large pinch of cheese to the top of each one, and put back in on broil for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.  

Remove from the oven , and let them cool for just a moment 

Pop them on a plate and serve :)) 

I was very happy with how these turned out , and if your going to try them at home you may want to wrap a strip of bacon around the whole thing before roasting :)) Adds that extra crunch and taste :))
I hope you've enjoyed the latest installment of the 10 with 5 challenge. Happy Cooking :))

Bacon, Egg & Chips - 10w5 #5 - Good Food, Cheap

Today is an interesting day :) For a few reasons, it marks the 3 month mark for this blog, and 6 months in for my FB food page.  I didn't plan it but they both started on the 28th. LOL So three months in and nearly 4000 page views later, here we are.  

With my latest Series, and a challenge post all rolled into one.  

Good food, cheap is a new series I'm going to work on , you should expect at least a couple a month , most likely more.   What I want to show, is that it doesn't take a lot of money to eat good food.  These will be the same as my normal posts but I will share the prices, and tips on where/how to get those deals.  

Ingredients : 

4 med/large russet potatoes $ 1.00 (10lb bag for $3)  

4 Farm Fresh Eggs $ 1.35 (A dozen for $4 ) 

Half a pint of Tomatoes $1.00 ($2 / pint ) 

Bacon $1.00 ( On sale $1 / lb )  ($4.00 for butcher Bacon ) 

3 cloves of garlic $ 0.25 ( $0.75 / head for organic ) 

Total for dinner for two $ 4.60 ( $7.60 using top quality bacon ) 

I would just like to make a note about the bacon , normally I have been buying bacon from a local butcher , and actually had done so here, but due to a few delays it had been in the fridge for a week , and had started to turn.  I had a craving for bacon, the butcher was closed. So I went for the back up bacon , which I buy on sale a couple of times a year , and usually just use for bacon bits.  

Assemble all your ingredients,  I rinsed this bacon to help remove some of the extra salt that cheap bacon tends to have . Worked out well . 

Slice up your chips,  crack the eggs into a large cup to help them warm up , and make pouring them into the pan easier :)

 Here is a link for how I make my Chips :)  http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/12/easy-hand-cut-chips.html

Chips take the longest , so you will want to get them started first .  

Vegetarian Eggplant Curry - #10w5 - 4 Good Food, Cheap 1

From being behind a week on posting , I'm actually now a week ahead of myself. The next 6 posts have all been photographed, I just need to write them out .  ( The hardest part for me ) So that brings us to today's recipe,  Vegetarian Curry , a first for me.   Not the curry part ,Ive made loads of those over the years in all sorts of different styles, just never without meat .  Also , Ive never used Indian Eggplant before , so this dish was a little interesting for me.This is one of those quick and easy meals, it can be ready in under 45 minutes , with only a few minutes prep.  and for the people like me that are on a budget , this one is really cheap,  total cost about $5 for enough for 4 bowls full.    

You will need for this recipe. 

1 Can of Chick Peas - Or 3 cups of dried ones soaked over night, and boiled $1.00

1 Jar of Whole Roma Tomatoes - Homemade if possible $ 0.50

5 Indian Eggplants ( Baby Eggplants ) $2.50

6 or 8 Mushrooms - Again , I only seemed to have white on hand. $1.00 

3 Tablespoons of your favourite curry powder.$ 0.25

The stars of the show,  Chick Peas, Indian Egg Plant, White Mushrooms, Madras Curry , My home canned garlic/basil tomatoes :)  

First thing I did was to chop the ends off the egg plants , quarter them, a light spray of olive oil so they don't stick, and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
Second things is to get the chick peas boiling, while you get started on the mushrooms. 

Rinse the mushrooms, I like to remove the stems ( save them in a freezer bag, for future uses stocks, or mushroom paste ) then quarter,  a quick pan fry before adding the other ingredients will get some colour on them.  

Beef & Mushroom Frittata 10 with 5 recipe # 3

I was off to a slow start with this challenge, but have been picking up speed nicely since getting the first one done  and out of the way.  Ive already eaten and photographed #4 :) and have the next few already planned out.
So on, to today's photo recipe ... and post number Three.  Frittata's are one of my favourite meals, I usually have them on the weekend when I'm clearing out my fridge.. but they can make a nice easy dinner too.   This one was a little special for me , as I actually collected the eggs myself , just a few hours before making this.  Which reminds me , I should do a follow up post on egg collecting .  :) This is a medium sized one, good for 2 for dinner or 4 for lunch .  

You will need :


1/2 pound of ground beef - This was my favourite:  local, free range and grass fed .
4 large eggs - Preferably free range farm eggs
2 med/large onions
6 cremini mushrooms
1 red bell pepper

The assembled ingredients. I should point out that this is actually a pound of ground beef,  I only used half of it for the frittata , the rest was saved for another dish.  

All sliced , you can slice them how you like , but bite sized is best 

Bacon & Mushroom Hummus - 10 with 5 , post #2

Okay , so this is probably the least healthy hummus I have ever made... lol I was trying to come up with something different , and unusual for the 10 recipes with 5 ingredients challenge. I knew I wanted to have a hummus in there somewhere.. and came up with the idea to skip the olive oil and use bacon :))  Everyone loves bacon right ??  I did include an apple in this snack , that makes it healthy again right ??

Ingredients required for a large cup full:

1 cup of cooked chick peas ( reserve a half cup of cooking water ) 

3 or 4 mushrooms - Your choice, I had white ones that needed to be used up 

3 or 4 pieces of bacon

2 cloves of garlic 

1 Granny Smith Apple

A note about chick peas, if your using dried ones, you will want to have them soaked overnight, before boiling them for about a hour.  If using canned ones ,  triple rinse , and then bring them to a boil for 15 minutes. For this one I used previously boiled , then frozen ones...  10 minutes in boiling water was all they needed.  

This is not my usual butcher's bacon , but the price was right :) and it tasted good.

When the bacon is almost finished ,  strain off the bacon grease , and reserve. 

I prefer my bacon crispy :) and give it a couple of minutes more in the dry pan. 

Creative Leftovers Pulled Pork n Beans Jacket Potato

   This is my first food blog challenge, and I think it overwhelmed me a little, so many thoughts, options and ideas have gone thru my head that I've  had a serious case of blog block going on, and just couldn't put thoughts to keyboard all week.   So here we are almost a 1/4 the way thru the challenge and I'm just getting the first one done !! I'm happy to say , this will be my first entry in the 10 with 5 challenge,  10 recipes with 5 ingredients or less.  A good match for my creative leftovers series, which I started as a way to help people use up all that extra food. Which is the case here,  Id made 6lbs of pork shoulder into pulled pork a couple days ago... and still had lots left. What to do with it ,  Ive already had several sandwiches and wasn't really interested in having another.   Its been a very cold, snowy kinda week , and comfort food is needed.  I grew up eating Jacket Potatoes.. and that was just what I needed today.
 For those people who are just finding my little Food Revolution,  you should know ... writing recipes is insanely hard for me.   I almost never follow one , and rarely write anything down.  I do however take a lot of photos, hopefully of all the steps, and explain it that way.  So here we go, I hope you enjoy :)


Ingredients you will need for dinner for two:


2 large potatoes  - I prefer russets or Yukon gold for baking .
1 cup pulled pork
1 cup of baked beans
1 cup of your favourite cheese grated ( 6 year old cheddar )
Okay this last one took me a while to decide on, normally Id have butter, onions, mushrooms ,red pepper and just about anything else i could find on top as well.  Hmmmmm colour won!!  lol
1 red bell pepper

Start by scrubbing your potatoes , and puncture several times on both side with a fork. I like my skins crispy so I don't wrap them , and just toss them in the toaster oven for about an hour and half at 350F.  Cooking time will vary with the size of the potatoes.

You can tell when they are done by giving them a little squeeze, they should give slightly .  Do it quickly tho , remember the game hot potato ??  Well this is the real thing :)  

The nice thing about this easy meal , is there really isn't a lot of prep. You can slice them however you like, I went thin today , then cut them into 1inch lengths.  

Everything assembled and ready.  I put the potatoes back in for 10 minutes will I started on the topping.