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Creamy Curried Beef

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This is a traditional Curry Dish, using Minced Beef in place of cubed – flavoured with various Spices, Raisins, Tomatoes and Almonds.
Minced Beef Curry
If you want a hotter tasting Curry, replace the Medium Curry Powder with a hotter one, add more garlic or include some finely chopped Chillies.

To serve 2
350g Minced Beef
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
1 Large Carrot, finely grated
2 Tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1tbsp Tomato Puree
100g Raisins or Golden Sultanas
250ml Beef Stock
3tbsp Wine Vinegar
1tsp Ground Cumin
1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon
1tsp Ground Allspice
2tsp Medium Curry Powder
120g Long Grain Rice
5tbsp Sour Cream or Natural Yogurt

1. Heat a large saucepan, and heat the Beef, Onion, Garlic and Carrot and heat over a low heat until the fat begins to run from the Beef, and then raise the heat slightly until the Minced Beef is browned off.
2. Add the Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Raisins (or Golden Sultanas), Beef Stock, Vinegar, Spices, and season to taste. Bring to the boil, check the consistency, and add some extra water if required.
3. Cover and simmer gently for twenty minutes until very tender, stirring frequently to make sure nothing sticks and burns. At the same time, begin to cook the Rice in some Salted Water for twelve to fifteen minutes, or until tender.
4. When the Rice is cooked, stir the Sour Cream or Yogurt into the meat, and drain the Rice. Slowly add the Rice to the pan of the Beef Curry, and stir in well, before serving on warmed plates.

Serve with Poppadoms or Naan Bread, fresh from the pan.

Photo Courtesy of: Xelcise

Stuffed Thai Omelette

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A great filling meal, and very easy to prepare and cook. You can easily change the flavours by simply changing the Minced Pork for Minced Beef, or for a Vegetarian Alternative, simply add in some Beansprouts for a bit of texture.
Omelette
This Omelette isn’t the spiciest in the world, however, to add a bit of extra eat to it, add a small Chilli, finely chopped up at the same time as adding in the rest of the vegetables.

To Serve 2
3 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
3tbsp Vegetable Oil
125g Minced Pork
1 Large Garlic Clove
2.5cm Ginger, peeled and grated
1 Carrot, peeled and grated
1 Small Leek, trimmed and shredded
1 Tomato, skinned and finely chopped
1tsp Soft Brown Sugar
1tbsp Nam Pla (Thai Fish Sauce) – Optional
2-3tsp Soy Sauce
1-3tsp Rice or Cider Vinegar

1. Beat the Eggs together in a bowl, with a bit of Salt and Pepper.
2. Heat a tablespoon of the Oil in a large Work or Frying Pan, and cook off the Minced Meat , along with the Garlic and Ginger. Cook through.
3. Add the Carrot and Leek, then stir-fry for a minute, before adding in the Tomato, Sugar, Fish Sauce (if you’re using it), Soy Sauce and the Vinegar, and then season well with Pepper, and keep over the heat for a further two to three minutes. Transfer to a dish, and keep warm.
4. Wipe out the pan with a piece of Kitchen Paper, then put over a medium heat and pour in the remaining Oil, making sure the entire pan is evenly coated, and then pour in the Beaten Eggs.
5. Just before the Omelette is setting in the middle, carefully spoon the filling into the Centre, and fold the four sides over to make an envelope. Place a plate over the top, and turn out and serve.

These go great at a big meal, along with these Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls, or the Dim Sum. A great idea is to serve lots of these small dishes as an Asian Tapas meal

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

Lamb and Lentil Bake

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Crisp, light Filo pastry with juicy Lamb and soft Lentils is a beautiful dish.

Filo Pastry

Be careful with handling the pastry – it’s really easy to rip or tear, so cover it with clingfilm or a tea towel to keep it damp, to avoid it drying out and becoming fragile.

To Serve 4
2tbsp Vegetable Oil
125g Onion, peeled and Finely Chopped
2.5cm Root Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and Crushed
1/2tsp Chilli Seasoning
1/2tsp Paprika
1/2tsp Dried Marjoram
225g Minced Lamb
175g Red Lentils
2tbsp Tomato Puree
2tbsp Lemon Juice
50g Raisins
600ml Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper
50g Butter
About 125g Filo Pastry
Poppy Seeds

1. Heat the Oil up In a large saucepan, and cook the Onions for about five minutes. Add the Ginger, Garlic, Chilli, Paprika and Marjoram, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
2. Add the Minced Lamb to the pan, and cook until it changes colour, and has no large lumps left, before mixing in the Lentils, Tomato Puree, Lemon Juice, Raisins and the Chicken Stock. Cover and cook for around twenty to twenty five minutes, or until the Lentils and Mince are tender and soft, and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the cover, and heat the pan to boil off any excess liquid, stirring occasionally, and season to taste. Place the mixture into a bowl, and allow to cool completely.
3. Melt the butter, and grease a loose-based flan tin. Line with sheets of the Filo Pastry, brushing with the melted butter between each layer, and overlapping them in a random pattern. There shouldn’t be any spaces in the Pastry, and any excess should be hanging over the edge of the tin.
4. Spoon the cold Mince and Lentil mixture into the case, and wrap the excess Pastry over the top to cover the mixture in the middle. Brush with butter, and garnish with any trimmings of the Pastry, before brushing with any butter left over. Sprinkle the Poppy Seeds over the top, then cook at 190C for around fifty to fifty five minutes, covering with foil after the first thirty to thirty five minutes.

Allow to stand and cool for ten minutes before serving.

Photo Courtesy of: Mart_Moppel

Coconut Curry

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This is a very simple dish, and it makes a very flavoursome curry, with tastes of (as the name suggests) coconut. It’s a very creamy dish, and quite heavy on the calories, so may not be the best thing for straight after Christmas!

Coconut Curry

Serve it with a freshly toasted Naan bread, and Rice – try adding some tumeric and chopped almonds to the Rice once cooked to add more flavours to the side.

To Serve 4
1tbsp Oil
450g Minced Beef
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1tsp Ground Cumin
1tsp Ground Coriander
1tsp Garam Masala
1/2inch Fresh Root Ginger, Grated
2tbsp Ground Almonds
175ml Coconut Milk
120ml Beef Stock
Salt and Pepper
2tbsp Fresh Coriander, Chopped

1. Heat the Oil in a large Saucepan, and add the Minced Beef and Garlic. Cook for five minutes over a medium-high heat.
2. Add the Cumin, Coriander, Garam Masala and Ginger, and cook for two more minutes, before adding the Ground Almonds and seasoning to taste.
3. Drain any excess liquid off, leaving around a tablespoon in the pan, then add the Coconut Milk and Stock. Mix in well, and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for twenty minutes, before adding in the Fresh Coriander and cooking for a further ten minutes until the sauce is thicker (it shouldn’t be dry, but shouldn’t be very…saucy).

Serve fresh and still hot from the pan, along with Rice, Naan Bread, Yogurt dip and Coriander on the plate.

For an alternative, simply replace the Minced Beef with diced Chicken, and cook until done through before moving on to the next step. Try adding different vegetables to the mix – Onions, Peppers and sliced Aubergines are all good to use.

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

Dim Sum

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This Chinese Snack is becoming more and more popular in a wide range of western restaurants. The dumplings have a soft juicy filling, and are great to serve as a starter for a themed meal, or as part of a large buffet.

Dim Sum

They take little preparation compared to how easy they are to make – you can also replace the minced Pork with Peeled Prawns, and sprinkle with some Sesame Seeds before you cook them. If you have a steamer, you can cook them in much larger numbers, and much easier, so you can produce more!

To Serve 4
150g Plain Flour
50ml Boiling Water
25ml Cold Water
2tsp Vegetable Oil
75g Minced Pork
3tbsp Chopped Canned Bamboo Roots
½ tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1tsp Dry Sherry
1tsp Demerara Sugar
1/2tsp Sesame Oil
1tsp Cornflour

1. Sift the Flour into a bowl, and stir in the Boiling Water, then the Cold Water and finally Oil. Mix together to form dough, and knead it until smooth.
2. Roll the Dough out into a sausage, and cut into sixteen equal sized pieces, and flatten into circles about five centimetres across
3. Mix the Pork Mince, Bamboo Roots, Soy Sauce, Dry Sherry, Sugar and Sesame Oil in a bowl, and then mix in the Cornflour.
4. Place a spoonful of the filling mixture in the centre of each circle. Pinch the edges of the dough together to form a little purse.
5. Line a steamer with a clean damp dish towel, and steam for five to ten minutes.

Serve on a bed of Lettuce, with some Soy Sauce and Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce.

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

Pastichio

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This traditional Greek dish is full of flavour, and very simple to make. If you want it to be even simpler, you can use White Sauce instead of creating your own sauce.

Pastichio

To Serve 4
200g Pastichio Noodles
1lb Minced Beef or Minced Pork
1 medium Onion
½ Stick of Butter
1/3 Cup of Flour
1 Tube of Tomato Puree
3 cups of Milk
3 Eggs
1 Cup Grated Cheese
1 tbsp Cinnamon
Salt And Pepper

1.       Brown the Meat off in a pan, and finely chop the Onion, adding to the pan and cook off until the fat evaporates.

2.       Add the Tomato Paste along with a cup of water. Add the Salt, Pepper and Cinnamon to the pan, cover and simmer on a low heat for fifteen minutes. Boil the Noodles and set them aside.

3.       In a separate pan, melt the butter and slowly add in the flour until it makes a thick mixture. Add the Milk until it boils – it should take around five minutes, stirring all the time.

4.       Beat the Eggs in a bowl, and slowly add the Butter, Flour and Milk into the Eggs, stirring all the time to prevent any lumps forming. Return to the saucepan, and stir constantly over a medium heat for one or two minutes. Add the Grated Cheese and stir in.

5.       Spread half of the Noodles over the bottom of a casserole dish, and cover with half of the sauce. Cover with the Meat, and then cover with some more of the sauce. Lay the rest of the noodles over the top, and cover with the remainder of the sauce.

6.       Bake at 180C for forty to forty five minutes.

Serve this dish either on its own, or serve with seasonal vegetables.

Photo Courtesy of: pink_fish13