Beef Massaman Curry

 As per usual, I was making a beef curry for us and decided to make a vegan veg one for Sam, there needed to be a couple of adjustments along the way ( and not just the lack of beef ) but otherwise it seemed ok to use roughly the same ingredients.

There are so many recipes out there for this and I was quite befuddled but I had to start somewhere, Slimming Eats is very reliable and also really healthy so , as I wanted to make my own paste , this was where I started.

I had a large joint of silverside in my freezer and it made a great joint, once cut up, for this recipe.

This one I cooked on the stove top in a large flameproof pot.

Ingredients

For the paste

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor

8 Dried red chillies split with the seeds removed ( I used fresh with the seeds )

4 Tablespoons Hot Water

1.5 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

1.5 Teaspoons Ground Coriander

1/2  Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

4 Green Cardamom pods split ( use only the seeds inside )

A pinch of Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Red Onion chopped

1 Thumb size piece of Ginger or Galangal chopped

5 Fat Cloves Garlic chopped

1 Tablespoon Lemongrass ( I used puree )

1 Teaspoon Shrimp Paste (  I used Fish Sauce )

Blitz to a nice paste and set aside.

For the curry

500gms Lean Stewing Beef ( I used silverside ) - chopped into chunks

180mls Beef Stock

1 x 400g Tin Coconut Milk

1 Large Onion - sliced thinly

400gm Waxy Potatoes

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup ( or Honey )

1 Tablespoon Tamarind Paste

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

2 Bay Leaves

1 Start Anise

1 Cinnamon Stick

Salt and Pepper

20g Chopped Peanuts ( optional ) 

Little slaked cornflour to thicken if necessary

Chopped Coriander to serve

In a frying pan, add a little oil and fry onions gently for about 10 minutes, add all the paste to the pan to cook out the spices taking care for it not to burn.

Add all the ingredients and the paste to your pot or slow cooker, give it a really good stir to combine, place a lid on and cook really gently for a good three hours on the stove stop or on high all day in the slow cooker.

I found that mine didn't need the cornflour as it thickened up beautifully while cooking.

Top with freshly chopped coriander and serve.

Easy Vegan Chilli

As per the veggie chilli recipe this was cooked on the same day but I put it all into the slow cooker to bubble away, it made it really lovely and saucy and so easy

Simply add more veggies to give this some bulk - as I said on the veggie chilli post , honestly this one was tastier and had a lovely silky texture

 Ingredients

2 Large Onions - chopped

4 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped

3 Sticks Celery - chopped small

3 Large Carrots - chopped small

Large pack of any mushrooms - roughly chopped

4 Birds Eye Chillies - finely chopped

1 Teaspoon ground Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon sweet Paprika

50gms Dark Chocolate ( Lidl do a really good vegan one )

2 Bay Leaves

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 x 400gm Tin Tomatoes

Half a tube Tomato Puree

2 Tins Kidney Beans drained and rinsed

1 Vegan Stock cube / pot

Good Splash Lea and Perrins / Hendersons sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

I simply put all the ingredients apart from the beans into my slow cooker and put on high for the afternoon, giving it a stir every now and again. I added the beans for about half an hour and then left to cool completely before freezing.

Vegetarian Chilli

 I had a proper cooking for the freezer day last week with the slow cooker and a large pot on the oven on the go, it seems mad not to make two chillies, one for us ( we always eat a veggie one now ) and a vegan one for Sam. Honestly no difference except I whack a pack of Quorn mince into ours.

Ingredients

1 500gm Pack Quorn Mince

2 Large Onions - chopped

4 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped

2 Sticks Celery - chopped small

2 Large Carrots - chopped small

Large pack of any mushrooms - roughly chopped

4 Birds Eye Chillies - finely chopped

1 Teaspoon ground Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon sweet Paprika

50gms Dark Chocolate

2 Bay Leaves

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 x 400gm Tin Tomatoes

Half a tube Tomato Puree

2 Tins Kidney Beans drained and rinsed

1 Vegetable Stock cube / pot

Good Splash Lea and Perrins / Hendersons sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

I know it seems like a lot of ingredients but it all adds to a really great rounded taste.

Heat the oil in a large lidded flameproof pan and add onions, leave to cook gently for about 5-10 minutes and then add all the other vegetables.

Leave to cook through for about 10 minutes and then add the quorn, spices and sauces, chocolate and stock, add enough water to just cover barely, place on the lid, turn it down and leave it to bubble away for a good hour if not two to really become unctious. If it's too watery at this stage leave off the lid to reduce.

Add the beans about half an hour before serving and check the seasoning, I added a good splash of hot sauce at this stage as we like it hot.

Shame that quorn is no longer vegan - however - honestly - the vegan version of this was actually a little tastier, most likely as the quorn kind of watered it down. 

We had ours served with rice and soured cream - lovely 

Easy Pumpkin Soup

 Having an allotment means ( if you grow them ) an almost endless supply of pumpkin. I now have last years to use up and I previously roasted it and whacked it in the freezer as it makes amazing soup and rather good risotto - if I can bear to not eat it straight out of the oven after roasting!. 

I needed a quick fix for dinner and had various bit and bobs in the fridge so this was the perfect easy dish.

Ingredients

4 Large Carrots   - peeled and roughly chopped

As much Pumpkin as you actually have to hand

2 Large Onions  - roughly chopped

2 Cloves Garlic - roughly chopped

1 Hot Chilli - roughly chopped

2 Sticks Celery - roughly chopped

Half a tube tomato puree

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tin full fat coconut milk

Good Splash Hendersons/ Lea and Perrins sauce

1 Stock cube/pot chicken or veg is fine

Salt and Pepper

If you have raw pumpkin then just take a little longer to cook but otherwise it's the same. I like my pumpkin roasted as it gives it a really nice roasted nutty taste.

Heat a little olive oil in a large flameproof pan and saute the onions for a few minutes, add all the other ingredients and a little splash of water just to cover - barely - you don't want to drown the vegetables.

Cook for about half an hour or so or until all the vegetables are cooked through.

When slightly cooled put through a blender or stick blender until smooth.

Return to a gentle heat and add coconut milk and season to taste.

Next time I'll put in two chillies I think as the soup can take the heat. 

We like this quite thick but you can thin it out a little with more stock or water, served with warm crusty bread - yummy !! 

Experimental Sauerkraut

 I've spent a long time thinking about making this as we love it, I really like the turmeric one but it's quite expensive to buy it ( in pretty small jars ). Noodling around on facebook at the weekend I found a lady in Scotland ...Nourished By Nature.... and decided to give it a go.

I followed the instructions apart from the fresh ginger as I'd forgotten to buy it. It was terribly easy and fingers crossed we'll have edible sauerkraut in a few weeks.

https://www.nourishedbynature.uk/

Lets see how this goes.....

Paul Hollywood's Corned Beef and Potato Pie

 Once again I gave his nibs a choice, corned beef hash or corned beef pie - prompted honestly by a random finding of a recipe by Paul Hollywood ! After a small amount of indecision, it was a thumbs up for corned beef pie.

This looked terribly easy and a great choice for a winters night.

Ingredients

For the pastry

250gms Plain Flour

125gms Good Butter

2 Free Range Eggs

Pinch salt

Little cold water if needed

For the filling

1 x  340g tin of Corned Beef  - chopped into large chunks

1 Medium Onion - chopped

2 Large Carrots - chopped

2 Sticks Celery - chopped

2 Large Potatoes - diced

1 Tablespoon Good Olive Oil

Splash Lea and Perrins or Hendersons Sauce

250mls Beef Stock

1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley

Salt and Pepper

To make the pastry, place flour and salt into a large bowl, rub in the cold butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, whisk up the eggs and simply pour into the flour mix ( save a little bit for your glaze ) , bring together gently - add a tiny amount of cold water if needed - Do NOT overwork, simply bring together, form into a ball and wrap in clingfilm. Place in the fridge while you make the filling, don't leave too long or it becomes unworkable - no more than 30 minutes for sure.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and add onion, fry gently for about 3-4 minutes then add the other veg, give it a good stir and leave to cook for 10 minutes or so, return every now and again to stir. 

Add potato and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Cook for a further 5 minutes and then carefully add the corned beef.

Add the stock and sauce and leave to simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the vegetables are cooked through. Do not stir too much if you want the corned beef to stay in chunks - it breaks up really easily and we like it to stay in chunks.

Once cooked , take off the heat and leave to cool completely.

When you are ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 200c/ 400f gas mark 6

Add the chopped parsley to the filling and divide the pastry into two,  roll out to fill your pie dish, place one piece into pie dish and fill with the filling, place top on and crimp edges, cut a couple of holes in the top and brush with remaining egg. 

I never trim the pastry as one of us likes to nosh all the trimmings :) 

Place on a metal baking tray and cook for approx 30 - 35 minutes or until golden.

Leave for about 15 minutes if you can as it'll slice a lot easier, this is an amazing pie and it was great served cold ( not fridge cold ) next day - someone was very happy with this. 

Beef Stew And Dumplings

 It's that time of the year again, I gave the lovely Mr Debs a choice of beef stew and dumplings or pho as I had a large piece of brisket that I randomly bought whilst in the market ( looking for silverside ).

Honestly, I thought he'd go for the pho as we have just returned from a wonderful trip to Australia and the choice of cuisine was remarkable....nope.....straight away he plumped for this British winter stalwart. 

Every time I make this it's slightly different depending on the veggies available but just throw anything that you have in as it always comes out tasting delicious anyway.

Ingredients

1 Kilo piece Beef brisket

3 Large Carrots Roughly Chopped

2 Large Onions Roughly Chopped

3 Sticks Celery Chopped

2 Cloves Garlic Minced

1 Parsnip Chopped

3 Bayleaves

2 Beef Stock Pots ( or beef stock cubes )

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tablespoons Mushroom Ketchup

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Mixed Dried Herbs

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the dumplings

160gms Self Raising Flour

80gms Butter

2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cold Water

Now, many recipes will have you browning the meat etc before you put all these ingredients into the stock pot or slow cooker, I've tried both ways and it makes no difference at all. I simply put everything into my slow cooker, top up with cold water to make plenty of gravy and put the cooker on a high setting for 7-8 hours.

Once the meat is tender and falling apart , thicken the gravy.

Towards the end of the cooking time and about 45 minutes from serving, make the dumplings.

Simply rub the butter into the flour to make a fine breadcrumb consistency, add salt and chopped parsley, bring the dough together with enough cold water to make a slightly sticky dough - do NOT overwork - simply bring together and form into balls.

 Pop them into the pot, cover to cook .

They can cook in about 30 minutes but they're even better after 45.

Serve with whatever floats your boat, we had peppery buttery cabbage with enough left over for bubble and squeak next day.