1. The Ultimate Beef Stew

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle 3 tablespoons butter 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (this cut is also called chuck shoulder pot roast and chuck roast boneless) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended: Burgundy) 8 fresh thyme sprigs 6 garlic cloves, smashed 1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 bay leaves 2 1/2 cups beef stock 9 small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 2 cups frozen pearl onions, a large handful 1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2 1/2 pound garden peas frozen or fresh Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish Horseradish Sour Cream, recipe follows, for garnish Toasted Peasant Bread, recipe follows, for serving Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter. While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve. Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours. After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs. To serve, place the stew in a soup bowl, garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and add a dollop of Horseradish Sour Cream. Right before serving add a slice of Toasted Peasant Bread, half way submerged in the stew. Horseradish Sour Cream: 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish Olive oil Salt and pepper Chives, finely chopped, as garnish Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives. Toasted Peasant Bread: 1 loaf peasant bread, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces Extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, halved Chopped parsley leaves Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Put a sheet pan in the oven so that it gets good and hot. Place the bread slices on the hot sheet pan. Drizzle the bread with the extra-virgin olive oil bake for 5 minutes, until the bread is nicely toasted. Rub the bread slices with the garlic cloves, and discard garlic. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Thursday, 24 January 2008 | 801 hits | Report

2. Lemon Garlic Tossed Salad

Ingredients: 1 head letttuce, 2 firm ripe tomatoes 1 large cucumber 1 bunch spring onions 4 cloves garlic, mashed Salt and pepper Fresh mint leaves 2 lemons, squeezed 1/4 cup olive oil Method: Pound garlic with 1/2 tsp salt. If using fresh mint, pound into garlic and salt mixture. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and onions dices together. Pour the lemon juice into garlic, salt, and mint mixture. Add olive oil. Mix well, and pour over salad. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper

Monday, 21 July 2008 | 1247 hits | Report

3. Lamb Burger With Cumin Yogurt

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb 3/4 tsp Mediterranean Oregano Leaves 1/2 tsp Thyme Leaves 1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne Red Pepper 2 tsp Fennel Seed 1 tbsp Parsley Flakes 3/4 tsp Paprika 1/4 tsp Coarse Grind Black Pepper 2 tsp Coriander Seed 4 shallots, finely diced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt Cumin Yogurt: 1/4 tsp Cumin Seed 1/2 cup yogurt, plain 1 pinch Coarse Grind Black Pepper 1/8 tsp salt In a preheated, dry skillet, toast the fennel and coriander seeds over a medium heat for around 30 seconds, or until the seeds disperse an aroma. Remove from skillet then crush the seeds in small bowl, or with a mortar and pestle. In the same skillet, saute the shallots in olive oil until they become translucent and just starting to release an aroma. Add in the oregano and thyme, then remove immediately from the heat and place aside. Mix together the lamb, remaining spices, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine gently, then create 6 patties. In a preheated, dry skillet, toast the cumin seeds, over medium heat, for about 30 seconds (or until aromatic.) Remove them from the skillet, anc crush as you did with the fennel and coriander seeds. Combine the yogurt with the toasted cumin, salt and pepper then place aside. Over a medium heat, grill the burgers to your desired doneness. Then, serve with grilled sourdough bread or hamburger buns and top with cumin yogurt. Good tucker

Sunday, 04 May 2008 | 887 hits | Report

4. Vegetable Empanadas In Curry Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon curry powder 5 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening 5 tablespoons chilled butter 1 egg 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, seeded, chopped 1 large garlic clove, chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds 1 pinch ground nutmeg 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 1 pound chopped fresh Swiss chard 1 cup diced red bell pepper salt to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste Sift flour, salt and curry powder into medium bowl. Add shortening and butter and cut in using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg and water in small bowl to blend. Add mixture to dough by tablespoonfuls until dough is firm. Turn dough out onto lightly-floured surface. Knead gently and briefly. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour to rest. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeno, garlic, cumin and nutmeg and stir 1 minute. Add tomato, corn, chard and red bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender and almost all liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Cool completely. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly-floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 6-inch diameter circles. Gather scraps into ball. Reroll scraps and cut out more circles. Place 3 tablespoons filling in center of each circle, leaving 1/2-inch border on all sides. Brush border with water. Fold circle over filling, creating half-moon shape. Press edges with tines of fork to seal. Make a small slit in top of each empanada to allow steam to escape. Place empanadas on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until pastry is golden-brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Yields about 6 servings YUMMY !!!!!

Thursday, 09 October 2008 | 886 hits | Report