My favourite slow cooked beef...

I have used my new slow cooker quite a few times this Winter cooking up all sorts of dishes from Spanish style Chicken to Chicken Curry, Beef Stroganoff to French Style Beef Casseroles and even a Lentil Dahl and Lamb Biryani.  The ultimate casserole to me would be Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon which I will try this Winter when I have the right ingredients in the house.

Here is a link to Julia's Beef Bourguignon Recipe, a timeless classic...
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=8222804

What I have enjoyed eating the most is the following recipe, loosely based on recipes I have followed previously combined with what ingredients I actually have in the house.


Slow Cooker Beef Casserole

Ingredients
1.2 - 1.5 kgs stewing steak (I cut the steaks into fairly large chunks probably 10cm square
a couple of tablespoons of flour to coat the steak prior to browning
olive oil (enough glugs to brown the meat and veg)
2 red onions sliced
2 yellow peppers sliced (or 4 small ones)
1 courgettes sliced (or 2 small ones)
2 sticks celery finely sliced
1 can tomatoes or half a bottle of passata (about 400g)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon tomato paste diluted in a cup of beef stock
a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme) chopped
enough wine to cover all of the above when it's all placed in the slow cooker
salt and pepper to season

Method
Cut the meat into good sized chunk (2 inch square if you prefer smaller bits but in my case 4 inch square suits me better).  Coat the meat with flour and season with salt and pepper.  Put aside.  When I use my slow cooker I tend to brown the vegetables first and put them in the cooker before the meat.  Brown the vegetables in olive oil and place in slow cooker.  Brown the meat and put in slow cooker on top of the veg.  Add the canned tomatoes, garlic, stock, tomato paste, mace, wine and herbs to the slow cooker and grind over some black pepper and season with salt.  Switch on the slow cooker and leave until cooked.  This would usually take at least 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 

This dish is lovely served with mash, rice or buttered noodles (fettuccine).  I also tend to enjoy such dinners with a serving of cooked greens on the side such as green beans, asparagus, peas or spinach.  But tonight I am too tired, so it's simply being dished up over some mash.

Roast Vegetables for Unwell Personas

I have been trying to shake a cold for the last week and it just ain't happening.  This is partially to do with having a non sleeping toddler and partner in the house.  My immunity is shot and I feel wrecked.  Am constantly reaching for quick carb comfort food but am trying to get some healthy veg in inbetween.  Last night I made a large tray of roast vegetables and my body just woofed it down.  Clearly this is what the doctor ordered, lots of colourful vegetables with all those lovely vitamins and minerals.  I am off to the food market shortly to get a stash of more vegetables to make a big pot of minestrone soup for dinner tonight.  But in the meantime here is my recipe for roast vegetables.

Ingredients
1 orange sweet potato cubed (4cm)
2 red skin potatoes cubed (2.5cm as they take longer to cook)
2 red onions sliced into chunks
half a garlic separated into cloves but leave the skin on
2 courgettes sliced into chunks
2 yellow peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
salt and pepper

Method
Prepare all the vegetables by washing them and cutting into chunks.  Place in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper and drizzle over oil and balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar if you have some).  Massage the oil and glaze into the vegetables. 

Cook at 220 degrees for 45 minutes or until cooked, turning vegetables occasionally.  I served my vegetables with some pan fried rump steak with some more balsamic glaze drizzled over the steak.

Sweet Smoked Paprika Stroganoff

I have a real penchant for beef casseroles.  Especially when they have been slow cooked and they just literally melt in the mouth.  On a shopping trip yesterday I indulged in some sweet smoked paprika from Spain.  I don't think this is the paprika traditionally used in stroganoff as you're supposed to use Hungarian paprika.  But what the hell, I tried the Spanish stuff, and it tasted pretty good.

Pimenton de la Vera - Sweet smoked Paprika

Ingredients
500g stewing steak
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
400g mushrooms
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
500ml beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup wine
1/2 cup light sour cream

Method
First things first, brown the diced onions and garlic in a little oil until soft and place in slow cooker.  Then brown the sliced mushrooms and add to the slow cooker.  Finally the meat.  First of all season the meat with salt and pepper.  Then sprinkle over the paprika and massage into the meat.  Finally dust the beef with flour before browning in a frying pan.  Add the meat to the slow cooker placing on top of all the vegetables.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook until tender (6 hours on high worked well for me)

Serve with rice and green beans.

The green beans I trimmed and blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes.  I then drained the beans and added a knob of butter, a squirt of fresh lemon before finally seasoning the greens with salt and pepper.

My go-to dinner when feeling heavy... Tofu Ramen

This is the meal I eat sometimes several times a week when I am feeling heavy.  It is very tasty, healthy and easy to make.  As I have decided to cut out wheat based carbs for the next 2 weeks, I am not including udon noodles in my bowl, but my partner will be enjoying them as per usual.

Tofu Ramen Recipe

Ingredients(for two)

1 block of tofu
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Broth Ingredients
3 cups of water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar or sugar substitute
1 teaspoon ginger
3 teaspoons chicken stock powder

Veg Ingredients
4 slices mushrooms
10 snow peas
1.5 cups bean sprouts
1 big handful baby spinach leaves
1 spring onion

chilli oil
1 packet instant udon noodles

Method

First things first, chop the tofu into decent size chunks and fry until crispy in a non stick frying pan with the sesame oil.  If you are feeling like something more meaty, then some sliced seared rump steak, sliced cooked chicken breast or a handful of cooked prawns also work really well.

Prepare the broth my mixing all the ingredients in a saucepan and bringing to the boil.  Add the thinly sliced mushrooms and snow peas and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Add the bean sprouts and simmer for another minute before adding the baby spinach leaves and removing from the heat.

To assemble the dish, put half a pack of udon noodles in the bottom of each bowl.  Add half the broth to each bowl, and then top with crispy tofu.  I then sprinkle some chopped spring onions over the top before making is spicy with some chilli oil.  The chilli oil I prefer in Asian dishes is the one pictured above.  Very good in small quantities.