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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Braised Beef Chuck

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This stew is a real ideal winter warmer. Serving up to eight people, it needs a large casserole dish, ideally one you can put on a Hob and in the Oven.

Braised Beef Chuck

Cook as slowly as possible, to allow the flavours to be maximised, and to allow as much tenderness as possible.

To Serve 8
100g Seasoned Flour
1.5kg Beef Chuck, cut into eight portions
50ml Vegetable Oil
½ Bottle of Red Wine
4 Sprigs Thyme
4 Bay Leaves
5 Juniper Berries
1 Whole Bulb of Garlic, cut in half horizontally
1 Litre Brown Stock, made from a cube is fine
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
6 Shallots, peeled and halved
2 Carrots, peeled and cut into thirds or quarters
1 Leek, cut into the same size as the Carrots
2 Celery Sticks, cut into the same size as the Carrots
Salt and Pepper

1. Put the Flour onto a plate, and use it to coat the Beef Chuck on all sides, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat the Vegetable Oil in a pan, and place the meat in it, in batches to be sealed. You should be aiming to get a good amount of colour on the meat.
3. When the Meat has sealed, remove from the pan, then pour in the Red Wine. Use it to deglaze the pan, scraping any pieces off the base of the pan – these are great for flavour
4. Return the Meat to the pan after a minute or two, along with the Bay Leaves, Thyme, Juniper Berries, Garlic, Brown Stock and the Worcestershire Sauce. Bring to the boil, and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Cook on a low heat (about 160C) either in the Oven or on the Hon, for around two and a half to three hours, before adding in the prepared Vegetables.
6. Cook for another sixty to ninety minutes, checking every fifteen minutes, making sure that there is still enough liquid in the pan. If the Vegetables and Meat are not covered, add a slight bit more stock.
7. Season to taste, then serve fresh from the pan with Creamy Mash and Roasted Parsnips.

Photo Courtesy of: FotoosVanRobin

Summer Fruit Charlotte

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Raspberries, Blackberries and BlueberriesThis dish takes four hours for it to set, so make sure you prepare it well in advance – but it is well worth the wait.

The soft sponge fingers with the soft creamy yoghurt and fresh fruit inside make such a beautiful change to some other desserts, especially since it’s so light!

To Serve 8

100g Caster Sugar

300g Strawberries

250g Raspberries

1 pack of Sponge Fingers

2 sheets of Gelatine

500g 0% Fat Greek Yogurt

½tsp Vanilla Extract

1.       Place 75g of the Sugar in a small pan with 100ml of water. Heat gently, and stir until the Sugar has dissolved.

2.       Slice 250g of the Strawberries, and add these as well as 175g of the Raspberries to the water, and mash lightly.

3.       Take off the heat, and cool for fifteen minutes. Strain into a shallow dish, keeping the fruit to one side.

4.       Dip the Sponge Fingers into the Sugar water one at a time, and line the base of a one litre pudding basin, cutting them to fit.

5.       In a different pan, soak the Gelatine sheets in four tablespoons of cold water until they are soft (it should take around five minutes). Heat the pan up gently until melted.

6.       Place the Yogurt in a bowl with the Vanilla Extract and the remaining 25g of Sugar. Beat in the melted Gelatine. Place half into the Sponge-lined basin, add the fruit then cover with the rest of the Yogurt mix and any of the remaining Sponges.

7.       Drizzle any remaining Syrup around the edge of the basin, and then place in the fridge to chill for at least four hours until set.

8.       To serve, place a plate across the top of the basin, and turn upside down, then top with the extra berries.

Photo Courtesy of: Renee Silverman

Jams and Chutneys

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A great treat to give at Birthdays and Christmas. Fresh jams and chutneys can be made as sweet as you like, and above all, it’s very easy and straight forward to make

Each of these recipes makes around 1.5kg (around 3lb) of Jam or Chutney.

Gooey Strawberry Jam

1kg Strawberries

1kg Granulated Sugar

Juice of 1 Lemon

100ml Water

1.       Cut the ends off of the Strawberries, and roughly cut them up into smaller sizes.

2.       Put these Strawberry chunks into a bowl, along with half the Sugar, the Lemon Juice and the water.

3.       Simmer for thirty five to forty minutes, tasting every ten minutes, and adding extra Sugar if needed.

4.       Allow to cool, and place into clean and sterile jars to store in a cool place.

Blackberry Jam

1kg Blackberries, dried and rinsed

1kg Granulated Sugar

Juice of 1 Lemon

125ml Apple Pectin

1.       Put a couple of small plates in the freezer

2.       Put all of the Blackberries, Sugar and Lemon Juice in a heavy-bottom pan, and cook over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.

3.       Heat to a rolling boil (in other words, keep it boiling quickly). Using a slotted spoon, scoop off any of the waste that may rise to the surface. Boil it for three minutes before adding the Pectin and then boil for another two minutes and remove from the heat

4.       Take a teaspoon of the jam and spread it on one of the chilled plates, and leave for thirty seconds. If the surface wrinkles when you push your finger through the surface, it’s ready, if not, boil for another minute

5.       When it’s ready, allow to stand for fifteen minutes, before evenly distributing to warmed, dry sterile jars, and cover securely.

Sweet Chilli Tomato, Onion and Apply Chutney

2tbsp Olive Oil

3 Large Sweet Onions

1kg Ripe Baby Plum Tomatoes

500g Bramley Apples

2tsp sweet Smoked Paprika

3 red Chillies

200g light Muscovado Sugar

350ml Red Wine Vinegar

2tbsp Tomato Puree

1.       Peel and dice the Onion, halve the Tomatoes and peel, core and chop the Apples. Finely chop the Chillies. Leave the seeds in if you want a bit of extra heat.

2.       Heat the oil in a heavy based pan, and add the onions and cook gently. Add ½tsp Salt, and cook until golden

3.       Add the Tomatoes, Apples, Paprika and Chilli, and cook for around five minutes until the Tomatoes start to break down.

4.       Stir in the Sugar, Vinegar and Puree, and boil for three or four minutes, before reducing the heat and simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent things settling.

5.       Spoon into hot, sterile jars, and allow to cool before covering

Photo Courtesy of: Ndrwfgg

Bowl of Raspberries

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raspberries

I’ve posted previously about my love for strawberries, but my second favorite berry and berry flavor, has got to be raspberry. A bowl of fresh and tangy, sweet, refreshing, juicy raspberries- is there anything better?

Turns out, there’s a large number of raspberry recipes online- from raspberry sherbet, to raspberry pie, to this ridiculously easy-to-assemble Raspberry Chocolate Torte (which I’ve tried, and which is awesome, by the way). There’s even raspberry vinaigrette, which, I’m sorry, looks so much like a pitcher of delicious raspberry juice in the photo, I want to down a glass right now.

Still, the best way I like my raspberries is fresh and plain. No sugar, no cream, just a bowl of plain deliciousness, thank you very much. I like to wash them quickly in very cold water, and serve them immediately. They’re packed full of good things like antioxidants, vitamins b and c, and lots of fiber (which means I can enjoy them without breaking my low-carb diet). It’s foods like these, perfect from nature, that really make me smile.