Women's Weekly Recipe Card File Challenge!

A few weeks ago my Mum was clearing out her recipe books and offered me her Women's Weekly Card File. I can't tell you how happy I was, I remember playing with this when I was little, pulling out all the cards, looking at the pictures and putting them all back in the wrong order! My Mum has had this card file since 1973 and she collected all the cards in it during some promotion that Women's Weekly held but only ever made the Pumpkin Scone recipe from it (and I have to say they are damn good pumpkin scones) so I think she was happy to pass it onto someone who was a) very excited about it and b) would put it to good use. So when Mum and Dad came for tea on Tuesday night I had to cook something from the card file!


Italian Rice Slice

Base - 30g butter
1 onion diced
1 cup brown rice
1 egg lightly beaten
3 cups water

Combine the rice and water and cook in the microwave or on the stove for 30-40 mins (or until soft)

Melt the butter in a frypan over medium heat and cook onion until soft and golden.

Once rice is cooked, stir through onion and egg.

Press into the base of 4 individual ramekins or one big baking dish.

Filling - 60g butter
1 red and 1 green capsicum diced
200g sliced button mushrooms
1 onion diced
3 tomatoes finely chopped
1 tspn crushed wet basil

In the fry pan you just used for the base, melt butter and add onion.

Cook until golden and soft. Add remaining vegetables and basil. Cook for around 10 mins or until vegetables are tender.

Arrange vegetables over your rice base.

Topping - 40g butter
1/4 cup plain flour
1 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
60g light shredded pizza cheese
.5 tspn crushed wet basil

Melt butter in a saucepan. Remove pan from heat and add flour. Stir until smooth. Return to heat, stirring constantly for 2 mins.

Remove from heat and gradually add milk. Stir until smooth. Return to heat, stirring until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and add beaten egg, cheese and basil. Stir until cheese melts (this will require some muscle power!).

Pour mixture over vegetables and bake in oven at 160C for around 40 mins or until topping is golden and set.


Ohhhhhhhhhhh my god, how awesome was this! I know it seems a bit fiddly with having to prepare 3 different layers but honestly, try it, you won't regret it! The cheese sauce was devine, the vegetables had so much flavour and the brown rice base just pulled it altogether beautifully. Definetly a keeper!

There are so many fantastic recipes in there, Mum and Dad have set me a challenge to try and cook them all so I'm going to aim for at least one dish a week and see how we go!

Em x