Yes, I was the genius who decided to paint our kitchen red. It was October when we moved in, so I hadn’t yet experienced what it would be like cooking in a red kitchen during the summer.

Now I know. When it’s scorching hot outside, it’s even hotter in our red kitchen. And that’s when I don’t have my two ovens going.

Which is why I prefer to spend the least amount of time in the kitchen when preparing our meals. And that means quick food, dishes that can be completed in under ten minutes, after which I can run to the blissful temperature of our airconditioned home office.

This beef and vegetable stir fry- especially if made with pre-cut vegetables- is exactly that. Quick, hearty, and delicious.

Flash in the Pan Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry

500g beef, thinly sliced (I like skirt steak, but any good steak with nice marbling will do)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 cups veg of your choice, in 2″ slices (I like snow peas, asparagus or string beans… but whatever floats your boat)
vegetable oil (I ♥ Sunflower, but Canola or Palm is just fine)
soy sauce
sesame oil

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add one tablespoon vegetable oil, and the sliced beef. Stir fry by – um- stirring and frying for about a minute and a half, two minutes tops. You do not want to overcook the beef! Remove from pan, and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot wok (or skillet), and add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry quickly, less than a minute, then add all the rest of the vegetables. Stir fry around 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, combine with cooked beef… aaaand you’re done.

Serve with plain steamed rice, or- and this is how we’ve been rolling lately- some boiled, fluffy Quinoa.

My husband and I gave up beef for Lent, which is why one of our planned dishes for Easter Sunday, just a few days away, is this mouthwatering, toothsome, stick-to-your-ribs beef stew, which we’ve happily dubbed “Easter Stew” in anticipation of the eating of it.

Beef stew is one of those things that, if you spend a lot of time cooking, is something you develop over the years. I’ve had all kinds of beef stew, from thick “Irish” ones made with Guinness, to Spanish style ones with a generous amount of chorizos and olives.

But while we love beef stews of all kind, it’s this one that gets the top honor of being our “celebratory” dish, to be enjoyed at the culmination of a season of staying away from meat and alcohol.

And, believe me, we will enjoy this.

Easter Beef Stew

3 lbs. beef shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
8-9 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 large carrots, in 1/4-inch slices
1 whole garlic head, crushed
5 shallots, peeled
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves (if you have fresh, by all means use it!)
1 bottle dry red wine (your favorite. Do not use bad wine)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons butter
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 lb frozen green peas
1 lb white mushrooms, halved
1 lb potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
pinch sugar

First, marinate the beef. Place it in a large container, add 6 sprigs of thyme, carrots, garlic, shallots, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and wine. Mix well, coating beef well, cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.

When you’re ready to start cooking, remove beef from marinade, and blot dry. KEEP this marinade… you’ll be using it later.

Heat evoo and butter and 2 sprigs thyme in a heavy-bottomed pan on HIGH heat. Remove thyme after a few seconds, and add the beef. You want to brown it evenly on all its sides. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the marinade back to the beef, and stir well. Then add beef stock, bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until it starts to thicken (15 – 20 minutes). Now, cover, put heat on LOW, and cook for 2 more hours.

After 2 hours, add potatoes, peas and mushrooms and pinch of sugar. Bring back to a slight simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables and meat are tender. Season again.

Not too hard, was it? Believe me, this is the BEST beef stew ever… and will guarantee you a very Happy Easter!

I’m a huge fan of Tzatziki, a yogurt-cucumber-garlic sauce that somehow manages to taste creamy and rich and light all at the same time. A Tzatziki sauce can make or break a gyros sandwich, and when paired with a couple of skewers of homemade meatballs, is one of my favorite dishes ever.

Making the Tzatziki

I like to make the Tzatziki before the meatballs, giving it time to chill a bit in the fridge. You’ll need:

2 cups plain yogurt (the full fat stuff, and preferably Greek)
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, crushed finely
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 whole cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated (large)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl, combine yogurt, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well. Separately, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the grated cucumber, and let it drain for around 20 minutes. You want to get rid of as much excess water as you can, so you don’t end up with watery Tzatziki. Add grated cucumber to yogurt mixture, add pepper, and combine. Cover and chill in the fridge at least an hour. Drizzle with olive oil right before serving.

Making Greek Meatballs

2 slices bread (white, whole wheat… whatever floats your boat)
1 cup milk
2 lbs. lean ground beef (or you can do 1 lb. lean and 1 lb. regular if you want more fat)
1 onion, minced fine
4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
2 teaspoons white or red wine vinegar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
all-purpose flour, to roll the meatballs in
extra virgin olive oil, for frying

Dunk bread slices in milk to absorb the liquid. Mash well.

In a large bowl, combine mashed milky bread with beef, onion, garlic, mint, vinegar, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Do not overmix, you want to be as gentle as possible or you’ll end up with tough and dry meatballs.

Gently form into small (1 1/2-inch) meatballs, roll lightly in flour, and fry in hot olive oil.

You can spear these on skewers, or simply piled on a pretty plate, with a bowl of chilled Tzatziki on the side. Delicious!

The Husband’s Spicy Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can white beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can tomato puree
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons spanish paprika
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

First, brown the beef lightly in some olive oil, making sure to stir so it crumbles. Drain about half the fat of this away, but not all of it. Yummy, yummy fat.

Add bell pepper, onion, celery, kidney beans, white beans, tomato puree, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, mustard, oregano, paprika and tomatoes.

Simmer for 25 minutes. Do not overcook… you want the celery to stay a bit crisp.

Sometimes, when he’s feeling particularly spicy, he throws in some dried red chilis (those small, hot ones). It’s all a question of whether you like it hot- or whether you can handle it.

I like to sprinkle mine with a healthy serving of grated Monterey Jack cheese…. mmm.

Here is another one of my concoctions. I actually got the idea from one of those recipe cards you get from the supermarket. They were promoting the use of McCormick spices and I thought I’d try them. I have never been one to follow a recipe to the letter, though, so I am sure that my version of this dish turned out differently. Anyhow, this dish is easy and quick to make, you will probably find yourself making it often.

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, sliced
1 small onion
4 tomatoes
½ cup light cream
Paprika
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Preparation:
Wash the chicken well and then drain. Season with salt, pepper, and some paprika. It really is up to you how much of the seasoning you want to use – I just threw everything in there. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat some olive oil in a thick pan and then fry the chicken strips for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the chopped onion in the same pan until translucent. Add the diced tomatoes. Cook this for about 5 minutes, stirring all the while. You can also add more paprika at this point.

Put the chicken back into the pan and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through. This took about 10 minutes. Make sure you stir every once in a while. You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if you want.

Add the light cream slowly and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add salt and more pepper and paprika to taste. For garnish, you can throw in some parsley.

This dish can be served over cooked noodles or rice – I chose the former.